28 THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF WOOD. 



One half of the thirty known species of the genus Fraxinus 

 inhabit North America. 



The name ash is also applied to several species of the genus Pyrus or Sorbus, 

 to which the apple, pear, quince, and some other trees belong. "Mountain Ash" 

 is either Pyrus americana or Pyrus sambucifolia. Both species, with their bright 

 red berries, are to be classed as shrubs rather than trees; their light, soft, weak, 

 close-grained woods having no economic importance, save perhaps for fuel. The 

 series is partially as follows: 



Pyrus mains (Common apple). Pyrus americana (Mountain ash). 



Pyrus coronaria (American crab-apple). Pyrus sambucifolia (Mountain ash). 

 Pyrus communis (Common pear). Pyrus ancuparia (Rowan tree, European 



Pyrus vulgaris (Common quince). Mountain ash). 



The Toothache Trees, Xanthoxylum americana and Xanthoxylum clava-herculis 

 (Linn.), are known as ash and prickly ash. The gopher wood, Cladrastis tinctoria, 

 is yellow ash. These woods are not important. 



