Fraxinus 879 



formerly used for staircases. Loudon says that the staircase at Wroxton Abbey, 

 near Banbury, was made of this wood, and in Hatfield House some of the inside 

 work is made of ash. Slabs from flat-sided trees often show a very ornamental 

 curly grain which makes very handsome panelling, and might be used for door 

 panels with good effect. 



The burrs are also cut into beautiful veneers which, when polished, are used in 

 cabinetmaking, and which sometimes in Hungary and south Russia are of great 

 size and perfectly sound, though in England usually small and faulty. I purchased 

 in Manchester, under the name of Circassian ash burr, some splendid veneers of this 

 wood, which measure about 5 feet by 3 feet, and are made up of small, closely crowded 

 knots, which take a fine polish and are of a greyish white or pinkish grey colour. 1 

 English ash, however, seldom or never assumes the wavy grain which is found in 

 Hungary and Russia, and is one of the most beautiful woods I know. This 

 is known as fiddle-back ash, because wood of this character, usually maple, 

 is selected for the backs of violins. It varies very much in colour, the most valuable 

 being the whitest ; and also in the size and character of the figure ; but when a 

 combination of small waves with eye-like patches is combined, it is superior to the 

 best American maple. Such wood was formerly much used for decorating railway 

 carriages, and for furniture, but from some reason which I cannot explain is now out 

 of fashion. I believe that the waving rarely extends throughout the tree, the best 

 figure being always near the outside, and the causes which produce it are, so far as I 

 know, as yet without any scientific explanation. (H. J. E.) 



FRAXINUS ANGUSTIFOLIA, Narrow-Leaved Ash 



Fraxinus angustifolia, Vahl, Enum. i. 52 (1804); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 1229 (1838). 

 Fraxinus australis, Gay, ex Koch, Dendrologie, ii. 1. 247 (1872). 



A tree attaining 70 to 90 feet in height. Shoots glabrous, green, slender. 

 Leaflets (Plate 262, Fig. 6), seven to thirteen, i| to 3 inches long, smooth and 

 slightly coriaceous, shining above, usually pretty uniform in size, subsessile, 

 lanceolate, base cuneate, apex acuminate, glabrous on both surfaces ; coarsely and 

 sharply serrate except near the base ; serrations few, spreading, often with incurved 

 points (occasionally deeply serrate with long bristle points). Rachis of leaf glabrous, 

 strongly winged, the wings meeting above and only showing a groove opposite the 

 insertions of the leaflets. Flowers (section Fraxinaster) without calyx or corolla, few 

 in erect racemes, arising from the axils of the leaf-scars of the preceding year's shoot. 

 Fruit lanceolate, obliquely truncate and entire at the apex ; but apparently variable. 



This species is distinguished from all forms of the common ash by its absolutely 

 glabrous leaflets, which have fewer, sharper, and more spreading serrations than in 

 that species. The terminal buds are also different, being small, dark brown, quadrate, 



1 I have seen in London a fine old cabinet, supposed to be veneered with Amboyna wood, so like the Circassian ash in 

 pattern, though the colour was yellower, that I much doubt whether the two could be distinguished when made up. 



