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AMERICAN MOUNTAIN ASH. 

 Pyrus americana, (Marshall) De Candolle. 



FORM — A small trpe rarely extceding 20 ft. in height with a diameter of 12 inches. A tree 

 14 Inches in diamet-Jr is reporttd from Lycoming county. Trunk rather short and the crown 

 narrow and round-tot?Iied. 



BARK — Thin, smooth or slightly scaly and grayish. 



TWIGS — Rather stout, smooth, grayish to reddish-brown, covered with conspicuous, pale, 

 oblong lenticels, pith large, brownish. 



BUDS — Alternate, puipllsh-red. smooth or sligiitly hairy on outside but densely hairy on 

 inside; terminal buds large, about i of an Inch long, broadly conical, with 2-3 visible bud- 

 Ecates. sharp-pointed and often curved at apex; lateral buds about i of an inch long, closely 

 appressed. somewhat flattened, with 1-2 visible Ludscales. 



LEAVES — Alternate, compound, G-10 inches long, with 13-17 sessile leaflets. Leaflets in pairs 



except terminal one, lanceolate, 2-3 inches long, sharp-po.nted at apex, serrate on margin, 



tapering or rounded at base. Smooth and dark yellowish-green when full grown, turning 

 yellow in autumn. 



LEAF-SCARS — .\lterualc, rather large, elevated on a projection of the twig, broadly D-shaped, 

 witJi wavy margin, containing 3-5 bundle-scars. 



FLOWERS — Appear about May when the leaves are fully developed. They are white, perfect, 

 about i of au inch across, arranged In flat cymes S-1 inches across. 



FRDIT — Arranged in flat-topped clusters, persisting far into winter, berry like, about the 

 size of a medium-sized cherry, bright red, round or pear-shaped. In winter wrinkled, its flesh 

 strongly acid. 



WOOD Diause-poroui; rays indistinct; soft, weak, brownish, close-grained. Weighs about 



34 lbs. per cubic foot. Not used commercially. 



DISTINGinSHING CHARACTERISTICS— The American Mountain Ash can be distinguished 

 l>y its alternate couipouud leaves with 13-17 sessile leaflets which are conspicuously toothed. 

 The flat-topped cymei of white flowers measuring about 3-4 finches across, and the bright 

 red fruit about the size of a pea and arranged in flat-topped clusters are characteristic. The 

 stout g.-ayisL t" reddish-brown twig with conspicuous pale lenticels and the purplish-red, sharp 

 pointed, somewhat gummy and usually smooth alternate buds are also characteristic. 



RANGE— Xcwfound'.r.nd westward to Manitoba and Iowa, southward in the mountains to 

 North Carolina. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA — Limited to the mountainous region of the State. A 

 line drawn from the western part of Tioga county south to Somerset county and thence north- 

 east to Monroe county will include the general distribution of this species. 



HABITAT— Prefers moisl or rocky hillsides. Often found on the border of streams and locally 

 common on rocky hillsides. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — This species is of no commercial importance. It rarely 

 exceeds a height of £0-lr- ft. with a diameter -if 12-15 inches, it is rather attractive and de- 

 sen-es to be planted for ornamental purposes. Its attractive ornamental features are its form, 

 broad cyme-like clusters of white flowers, and its bright red clusters of fruit which ripen 

 in autumn. 



