Handbook of Trees of the Northekx States Axn Taxada. 



!39 



The American Mountain-Ash is a slender 

 tree rareiy more than 30 or 40 ft. in height 

 or than 12 in. in diameter of trunk, and often 

 reduced to a shrub. When away from the 

 influence of other trees it develops .a rather 

 narrow rounded top of slender branches and 

 stout branchlets. 



It is one of the most beautiful trees of our 

 northern forests, as is attested by the fact that 

 it is more abundantly than any other tree, 

 excepting the following species, transplanted 

 from the forests to the door yards of country 

 homes for ornamental purposes, where its 

 handsome foliage is a constant delight. The 

 large bunches of small white flowers which 

 terminate its branchlets in early summer add 

 greatly to its beauty and offer abundant nectar 

 to the searching bees. In autumn, when the 

 flowers of summer are succeeded by its ample 

 bunches of red berries, it is even a more beau- 

 tiful object, and its fruit, long lingering after 

 the leaves have fallen, offers to the departing 

 robin and bluebird their last repast before 

 leaving for their winter homes. 



The wood is soft, light, a cubic foot weigh- 

 ing 33.97 lbs., and verj' close grained but of 

 little economic value. 



Ijcavcs tt-S in. long, with groon or reddish 

 petioles, and 0-17 lanceolate taper-pointed leaflets, 

 rounded or obtuse, entire and unerjual at base, 

 sharply serrate above, subsessilo (excepting the 

 terminal .leaflet) glabrous, dark green above, palor 

 beneath ; leaf-buds glabrous glutinous. Flowers in 

 May. 1/^-14 in. across, in dense broad cymes. "-'> 

 in. across. Fruit subglobose, H in. in diameter.-' 



1. Syn. Pynis Americana DC. 



2. For genus see p. 430. 



