558 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



RED ASH 



Brown, or River Ash. 



Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. 



F. pubescens Lam. ; F. Darlingtonii Britton. 



HABIT A medium to large-sized tree, 30-70 ft. in height with a 

 trunk diameter of 1-3 ft.; in general appearance resembling the White 

 Ash. 



BARK Similar to that of White Ash but with somewhat shallower 

 furrows. 



TWIGS More slender than those of White Ash, densely velvety- 

 downy in typical condition but often without down especially in the 

 Green Ash [Fraxinus pennsylvanica, var. lanceolata (Bork.) Sarg.]. 



LEAF-SCARS Semicircular, upper margin rarely somewhat de- 

 pressed. 



BUDS Dark rusty brown smaller and narrower than those of the 

 White Ash, about 2 pairs of scales visible to terminal bud. 



FRUIT Seed-bearing portion round in section, marginless below with 

 wing extending down its sides. 



COMPARISONS The Red Ash is not distinguished by most people 

 from the White Ash which it closely resembles. The" downiness of its 

 twigs which is considered its chief specific character is not constant. 

 The shape of its leaf-scar, in general semi-circular with upper margin 

 not concave, is perhaps its best distinguishing character. Further its 

 terminal buds are narrower, showing fewer scales and the twigs are 

 more slender. The smooth-twigged Green Ash [Fraxinus pennsylvanica, 

 var. lanceolata (Bork.) Sarg.] is considered by the best authorities only 

 a variety of the Red. The Black Ash is best separated by its char- 

 acteristic scaly bark and generally black buds. 



The European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior L.] is frequently cultivated. It 

 has a bark resembling that of the White Ash and has a pair of lateral 

 buds nearly on level with terminal buds; but its leaf-scars are semi- 

 circular and its buds jet black. 



DISTRIBUTION River banks, swampy lowlands, margins of streams 

 and ponds. New Brunswick to Manitoba; south to Florida and Alabama; 

 west to Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. 



IN NEW ENGLAND Maine infrequent; New Hampshire occasional, 

 extending as far north as Boscawen in the Merrimac valley; Vermont- 

 common along Lake Champlain and its tributaries; occasional in other 

 sections; Massachusetts and Rhode Island sparingly scattered through- 

 out. 



IN CONNECTICUT Frequent. ^;f** 



WOOD Heavy, hard, rather strong, brittle, coarse-grained, light 

 brown with thick lighter brown sapwood streaked with yellow; some- 

 times confounded commercially with the more valuable wood of the 

 White Ash. 



