OLIVE FAMILY 



In general appearance the Red and the White Ash strongly 

 resemble each other. But the Red Ash is downy on branch- 

 let and leaf and petiole while the 

 White Ash is in the main smooth. 

 Its specific name pennsylvanica em- 

 phasizes the fact that it is a tree of 

 the North Atlantic states and grows 

 best east of the Alleghany Moun- 

 tains. It approaches the Black Ash 

 in its preference for rich, low, moist 

 soils, the banks of streams and the 

 shores of lakes, but unlike it, will 

 grow in dry localities. The wood is 

 not so valuable as that of the White 

 Ash, being brittle instead of elastic. 

 The Green Ash, F. lanceolata, 

 which is now considered a variety 

 of the Red Ash, may be distinguished from it by its dark 

 and lustrous foliage, by the smoothness of its leaves and 

 branchlets and the bright green. both of the upper and lower 

 surface of the leaves. In New England there are marked 

 differences, but west of the Mississippi the two are connected 

 by intermediate forms which blend them together. 



The Green Ash is recommended for parks, streets, and 

 shelter belts in the western states, largely because of its abil- 

 ity to flourish in regions of small and uncertain rainfall. 



Samaras of Red Ash, fraxinus 

 pennivivanica. 



BLUE ASH 



Frdxiniis quadrangiilhta. 



A tall slender tree, sometimes one hundred and twenty feet in 

 height with a trunk two or three feet in diameter, usually much small- 

 er. Native of the Mississippi valley, nowhere very abundant, prefers 

 lime-stone soils. 



Barh. — Light gray tinged with red, irregularly fissured. Branch- 

 lets, stout, four-angled, more or less four-winged, at first orange 

 color with rusty pubescence, later they become light brown or ashy 

 gray and gradually terete. 



214 



