558 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTEK. 



RED ASH 



Brown, or River Ash. 



Fraxinus pennsj'lvanica Marsh. 



F. pubescens Lam. ; F. Darlingtonii Britton. 



H VBIT — A medium to larsre-sized tree, 30-70 ft. in height with a 

 trunlv diameter vi l-Z fi.; in general appearance resembling the White 

 Ash. 



BARK — Similar to that of White Ash but with somewhat shallower 

 furrows. 



TAVIGS — :>re slender than those of White Ash, densely velvety- 

 downy in typical CLmdition but often without duwn especially in the 

 Green Ash [Frajinns i'cnn.-<iili'o.nica, var. lanteolata (Bork.; Sarg.]. 



LEAF-8C.VR!ii — Semicircular, upper margin rarely somewhat de- 

 pressed. 



BVDS — Dark rusty hrown smaller and narrower than those of the 

 White Ash, about '1 i>;iirs of scales visible to terminal bud. 



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

 "U'ing extending down its sides. 



CO>IP VRISOXS — The Red Ash is not distinguished by most people 

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

 twigs whiuh 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 cliaracter. Further its 

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

 more slender. The smooth-twigged Green Ash \_Fraxinns pennsulvanica, 

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

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

 acteristic scaly bark and generally black buds. 



The European Ash [Fraxin)(S 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. 



DISTRinrTIOX — River banks, swampy lowlands, margins of streams 

 and pi.uids. Xew Brunswick to Manitoba; south to Florida and Alabama; 

 west to Dakota. Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. 



IX NEW" ENGLAND — Maine — infrequent; New Hampshire — occasional, 

 extending as far north as Boscawen in the !Merrimac valley; "N'ermont^ 

 common ahuig Lake Champlain and its tributaries, octasional in other 

 sections; Massachusetts and Rhode Island — sparingly scattered through- 

 out. 



IN CONNECTICUT— Frequent. 



A>"OOD — TIeav>-, hard, rather strnng. brittle, coarse-grained, light 

 brown with thi^'k ligliter ln-<iwn sapwi-nd streal-ied with yellow; some- 

 times confounded commereiallv with the more valuable wood of the 

 W^hite Ash. 



