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Fraxinus (Old Latin name of the tree Ash)
(the old Latin name of the tree). Ash. Including Ornus. ORD. Oleaceae. Large, ornamental, hardy deciduous trees, with lateral racemes of greenish-yellow or whitish flowers, and opposite, unequally pinnate, rarely simple leaves. They flourish in moderately good soil, in sheltered situations. Propagation is effected chiefly by seeds, the varieties being increased by grafting. The seeds of the common Ash ripen in October, and should be gathered and laid in an open pit, constructed in a place where the soil is light and porous. Two bushels of sand should be mixed with each bushel of seed, and the whole put into this pit till the February following, during which time it must be turned over several times, to prevent heating. The seeds should be sown in beds, in good friable soil, a sandy loam being the best for the purpose. After remaining two years in the seed bed, the plants may be removed, and placed, at a distance of 6in. from each other, in rows 1 1/2ft. apart. These should stand two years longer, when they will be fit for permanently planting out during any mild weather in autumn or early spring. Exclusive of the many varieties, the present genus is comprised of about thirty described species. About ten of these are natives of North America.
F. acuminata (taper-pointed). A synonym of F. americana. F. alba (white). A synonym of F. americana.
F. americana (American).* White Ash. fl. white, disposed in terminal panicles. April and May. Samaras narrow, obtuse, mucronate. l. with two to four pairs of ovate or ovate-acuminated, shining, serrated leaflets, 3in. to 5in. long, and 2in. broad. Branches brownish-grey. h. 30ft. to 40ft. East United States, 1723. SYNS. F. acuminata, F. alba, F. Curtisii, F. epiptera, and F. juglandifolia (of Lamark). The variety latifolia has broader leaves than the type.
F. angustifolia (narrow-leaved). A synonym of F. excelsior australis. F. argentea (silvery). A synonym of F. Ornus.
F. caroliniana (Carolina). A synonym of F. platycarpa. F. concolor (one-coloured). A synonym of F. viridis. F. Curtisii (Curtis's). A synonym of F. americana.
F. epiptera (wing-topped). A synonym of F. americana. F. excelsior (taller).* Common Ash. fl. greenish-yellow, naked, produced in small crowded axillary panicles. March and April. Samaras linear-oblong, notched at the tip. l., leaflets in five or six pairs, almost sessile, lanceolate-oblong, acuminate, serrated, cuneated at the base. h. 30ft. to 80ft. Europe (Britain). (B. M. Pl. 171.) Of the numerous varieties of this fine tree, the following is a pretty extensive and comprehensive list. As a rule, the name indicates the general distinctive character of each sort: aucubaefolia, aurea, aurea pendula, aurea pendula stricta, coarctata, crispa, heterophylla, heterophylla variegata, horizontalis, oxyacanthifolia, pendula, pendula foliis variegatis, scolopendrifolia, simplicifolia (=monophylla), simplicifolia laciniata, spectabilis, viridis, and Wentworthi pendula. F. e. australis (Southern). fl. greenish-white, naked. May. Samaras in three or four pairs, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long, lanceolate. l., leaflets sessile, lanceolate, remotely denticulated; peduncles below the leaves, solitary, 2in. long. Branchlets green, dotted with white. h. 30ft. to 50ft. South-west. Europe and North Africa, 1815. SYN. F. anyustifolia. F. floribunda (bundle-flowered). fl. white, in compound, thyrsoid, terminal panicles. April. Samaras linear or narrow-spathulate, obtuse, and entire. l., leaflets elliptic-oblong, acuminated, serrated, glabrous, stalked. h. 30ft. to 40ft. Nepaul, 1822. SYN. Ornus floribunda. (B. F. F. 37.) F. juglandifolia (Walnut-leaved). A synonym of F. viridis. F. juglandifolia (Walnut-leaved), of Lamark. A synonym of F. americana. F. lentiscifolia (Lentiscus-leaved). A synonym of F. oxyphylla parvifolia. F. longicuspis (long-pointed). l. with two or three pairs of lanceolate, very acuminate leaflets. Japan, 1869.
F. Mariesii (Maries). fl. white, in numerous erect strict panicles from the uppermost axils. l. 4in. to 6in. long; petiole and rachis slender; leaflets five. Northern China, 1880. A small tree. (B. M. 6678.) F. nigra (black). A synonym of F. pubescens.
F. Ornus (Ornus). Manna Ash. fl. greenish-white, complete or hermaphrodite; peduncles axillary, shorter than the leaves. May and June. Samaras brown. l., leaflets lanceolate or elliptic, attenuated, serrated, stalked, entire at the base, villous or downy beneath. Young branches purplish or livid, with yellow dots. h. 20ft. to 30ft. South Europe, 1730. A very handsome and free-flowering tree. SYNS. F. argentea, F. rotundifolia, and Ornus europaea. (W. D. B. 2, 107.) F. oxycarpa (sharp-fruited). A synonym of F. oxyphylla. F. oxyphylla (sharp-leaved). fl. greenish-yellow, naked. May. Samaras lanceolate, attenuated at both ends, mucronate. l. dark glossy green, produced in tufts at the ends of the branches; leaflets two to three pairs, almost sessile, lanceolate, acuminated, serrated. Branchlets green, with white dots. h. 30ft. to 40ft. Caucasus, 1815. SYN. F. oxycarpa.
F. o. parvifolia (small-leaved). fl. greenish-yellow, naked. May, Jun. Samaras narrow, gradually widening to the apex, and retuse there. l., leaflets four to five pairs, petiolate, oblong and lanceolate, sharply serrated; serratures mucronate. Branches dark purple. h. 30ft. to 50ft. Aleppo, 1710. SYN. F. lentiscifolia.
F. pallida (pale). A synonym of F. platycarpa.
F. pauciflora (few-flowered). A synonym of F. platycarpa. F. pennsylvanica (Pennsylvanian). A synonym of F. pubescens. F. platycarpa (broad-fruited). Carolina Water Ash. fl. greenish-yellow. May. Samaras broadly winged, 2in. long, acute at both ends. l., leaflets almost sessile, very distinctly serrated, elliptic-lanceolate, 2in. long, 1in. broad. h. 30ft. to 50ft. Eastern United States, 1724. SYNS. F. caroliniana, F. pallida, F. pauciflora, and F. triptera.
F. potamophila (swamp-loving). fl. greenish, in short dense racemes. Samaras stalked, oblong, with a wedge-shaped base. l. small. Young branches of a greyish-brown colour, with black buds. Turkestan.
F. pubescens (downy). fl. greenish-yellow, calyculate; racemes rather compound. May. Samaras narrow-lanceolate, obtuse, with a short mucro at the apex, 2in. long. l., leaflets three to four pairs, petiolate, elliptic-ovate, serrated, downy or tomentose beneath, as well as the petioles and branches. h. 30ft. Eastern United States, 1811. SYNS. F. nigra, F. pennsylvanica, F. tomentosa.
F. quadrangulata (four-angled). Blue Ash. fl. greenish-yellow. May. Samaras blunt at both ends. l. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long; leaflets two to four pairs, almost sessile, elliptic-lanceolate, serrated, downy beneath. Branches quadrangular. h. 60ft. to 70ft. Eastern United States, 1823. F. rotundifolia (round-leaved). A synonym of F. Ornus. F. sambucifolia (Elder-leaved). Black Ash. fl. like those of the common Ash. May. l., leaflets three pairs, 3in. to 4in. long, acute at both ends, sessile, ovate-lanceolate, serrated. Young branches green, beset with black dots. h. 30ft. Eastern United States, 1800.
F. tomentosa (tomentose). A synonym of F. pubescens. F. triptera (three-winged). A synonym of F. platycarpa. F. viridis (green). l., leaflets bright green both sides, or barely pale beneath, from oblong-lanceolate to ovate, mostly acuminate, and sparsely and sharply serrate or denticulate. h. 30ft. North America, 1824. SYNS. F. concolor, F. juglandifolia. There is a variety, F. v. Berlandieriana.