of New York 



91 



MOUNTAIN ASH 



Pyrus ameticana, (Marshall) De Candolle 



THE MOUNTAIN ASH is one of our small forest trees, 

 rarely exceeding 30 feet in height and 14 inches in diame- 

 ter. It is essentially a tree of the Northwoods, being found 

 commonly at high altitudes or in and about cool swamps. 



The leaves are alternate, 6 to 10 inches long, compound, 

 with 13 to 17 stalkless 

 leaflets. The leaflets occur 

 in pairs, except the termi- 

 nal ones, are 2 to 3 inches 

 long, sharp-pointed, finely- 

 toothed along margin, and 

 turn to a bright yellow in 

 autumn. 



The flowers are white, 

 small, about ]/% of an inch 

 wide, arranged in flat clus- 

 ters 3 to 4 inches wide. 



The fruit is a bright- 

 red, round berry, about 

 the size of a pea, arranged 

 in flat-topped clusters 3 to 

 4 inches wide. The bark 

 is thin, smooth, grayish, 

 somewhat scaly. The twigs 

 are rather stout, smooth, 

 grayish to reddish-brown, 

 marked with pale dots, 

 contain brownish pith. 

 The buds are purplish-red, smooth or slightly hairy on out- 

 side, densely hairy on inside. The terminal buds are about 

 24 of an inch long, conical, sharp-pointed, covered with 2 

 or 3 visible scales. 



The Mountain Ash is found from Newfoundland to Man- 

 itoba, southward to Iowa and Pennsylvania and along the 

 mountains to North Carolina. In New York this tree is 

 common in the cooler and higher parts of the State. In the 

 Adirondacks and Catskills it is abundant. Southward to 

 the Susquehannah valley and westward to Erie county it is 

 found locally. Sometimes it occurs on rocky hillsides and 

 dry ledges. Moist and rocky hillsides and cool swamps are 

 its favorite homes. This tree is too small to produce wood 

 of commercial importance. Its chief merits are its attractive 

 white flowers and beautiful red fruit. 



Closely related to the American Mountain Ash is the Eu- 

 ropean Mountain Ash (Pyrus acuparia, Linnaeus) . It is 

 planted extensively for ornamental purposes. 



MOUNTAIN ASH 

 One-fourth natural size. 



