11 



AA'Di; 



Ti 



OI'- 



■IN-; 



X( 



i;x S-i 



( 'axai 



241 



The Large-fruited Mountain-Ash is a hand- 

 soiiie tree, sometimes attaining the height of 

 ',iO ft. witli trunk 12 in. in diameter and vested 

 in a smooth lustrous silvery gray hark. When 

 isolated from other trees it develops a .sym- 

 metrieal ovoid or rounded top. It is distinctly 

 a horeal tree, heing at liomc along the borders 

 of s\vam]is and streams and liy the springs 

 on mountain sides of the far north, where tln^ 

 beauty of its llmvers and fruit are unsurpassed 

 by those of any otiier tree of those regions. 

 The tree has long been considered identical with 

 a northern Asiatic species, the F. mnihucifolia 

 C. & S. (Elder-leaf Mountain- Ash) and has 

 been so named in the books generally upon 

 American trees. Its distinctness from that 

 species, however, has recently been pointed out 

 and it has been given the name S. scopuUna. 

 Though considered by some as a variety of 

 .S'. An>erica)ia its sjiecitic distinctness would 

 seem to be clearly indicated by its larger and 

 earlier flowers in smaller clusters, its large 

 fruit and broader, more obtuse leaflets and 

 hairy winter buds. It is a particularly beauti- 

 ful tree in autumn, when bearing among its 

 b]ue-gr(!>en foliage its nodding clusters of bright 

 red fruit. 



The wood is light, a cubic foot weighing 36.94 



lbs., soft and but little used. 2 



Leaves usually 4-6 in. long with reddish-petioles, 

 and 7-15 oblong-oval to ovate-lanceolate, sub- 

 sessile leaflets, rounded or tapering, inequilateral 

 and entire at base, sharply .serrate above, mostl.v 

 ol)tuse or acute at apex, pubescent at first but at 

 maturity glabrous dark bluish green above, paler 

 and usuall.v more or less pubescent lieneath ; leaf- 

 buds hairy. Floirrrit in latter part of .Tune, 

 Vi-'Vs in. across, in pubescent cymes 2-4 in. broad. 

 Fruit subglobose, bright red, from 14-% in. in 

 diameter. 



1. Syn. I'ynis sauibiu-ifolia C. & S. 

 AincricaiKi var. iliconi Sarg. 

 •2. A. W., IV. S4. 



Sorbus 



