Ash is the name of three very distinct group of trees. In
America and
Europe, "ash" generally refers to trees of the genus
Fraxinus. In
Great Britain, "ash" also refers to the
mountain ash or
Rowan[?], genus
Sorbus. In Australia, "mountain ash" refers to a type of
eucalyptus,
Eucalyptus regnans, one of the tallest trees in the world (perhaps second only to the
coast redwood).
Ash |
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Scientific classification |
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Species |
Fraxinus americana -- white ash
Fraxinus angustifolia -- narrowleaf ash
Fraxinus anomala -- single-leaf ash
Fraxinus apertisquamifera
Fraxinus caroliniana -- water ash
Fraxinus cuspidata -- fragrant ash
Fraxinus dipetala -- two-petal ash
Fraxinus dubia
Fraxinus excelsior -- common ash
Fraxinus baroniana
Fraxinus bungeana -- Bunge ash
Fraxinus chinensis -- Chinese ash
Fraxinus chiisanensis
Fraxinus floribunda
Fraxinus gooddingii -- Goodding's ash
Fraxinus greggii -- Gregg's ash
Fraxinus griffithii
Fraxinus holotricha
Fraxinus hubeiensis
Fraxinus lanuginosa
Fraxinus latifolia -- Oregon ash
Fraxinus longicuspis -- Japanese ash
Fraxinus malacophylla
Fraxinus mandshurica -- Manchurian ash
Fraxinus micrantha
Fraxinus nigra -- black ash [?]
Fraxinus ornus -- flowering ash
Fraxinus papillosa -- Chihuahua ash
Fraxinus paxiana
Fraxinus pennsylvanica -- green ash[?]
Fraxinus platypoda
Fraxinus profunda -- pumpkin ash
Fraxinus purpusii
Fraxinus quadrangulata -- blue ash
Fraxinus raibocarpa
Fraxinus rufescens
Fraxinus uhdei -- Shamel ash
Fraxinus sieboldiana -- Chinese
flowering ash
Fraxinus spaethiana
Fraxinus trifoliata
Fraxinus velutina -- velvet ash
Fraxinus xanthoxyloides -- Afghan ash
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*Some botanists include the Oleaceae in the order Lamiales. |
The genus Fraxinus is in the olive family, Oleaceae. Ashes are usually medium to large trees. Most have pinnately- compound, opposite leaves. Seeds are borne in keys, superficially similar to maple keys.
The white ash is a particularly important timber tree in eastern North America, and is the source of wood for quality wooden baseball bats[?]. The green ash[?] is widely planted as a street tree in the United States. The inner bark of the blue ash has been used as a source for a blue dye.
- Fraxinus anomala -- single-leaf ash
- Fraxinus cuspidata -- fragrant ash
- Fraxinus dipetala -- two-petal ash
- Fraxinus dubia -- ash
- Fraxinus gooddingii -- Goodding's ash
- Fraxinus greggii -- Gregg's ash
- Fraxinus latifolia -- Oregon ash
- Fraxinus papillosa -- Chihuahua ash
- Fraxinus purpusii -- ash
- Fraxinus rufescens -- ash
- Fraxinus uhdei -- Shamel ash
- Fraxinus velutina -- velvet ash
- Fraxinus angustifolia -- narrowleaf ash (also in Asia and North Africa)
- Fraxinus excelsior -- common ash
- Fraxinus holotricha -- ash
- Fraxinus ornus -- flowering ash (also in North Africa)
- Fraxinus angustifolia -- narrowleaf ash (also in Europe and North Africa)
- Fraxinus apertisquamifera -- ash
- Fraxinus baroniana -- ash
- Fraxinus bungeana -- Bunge ash
- Fraxinus chinensis -- Chinese ash (or Korean ash)
- Fraxinus chiisanensis -- ash
- Fraxinus floribunda -- ash
- Fraxinus griffithii -- ash
- Fraxinus hubeiensis -- ash
- Fraxinus lanuginosa -- ash
- Fraxinus longicuspis -- Japanese ash
- Fraxinus malacophylla -- ash
- Fraxinus mandshurica -- Manchurian ash
- Fraxinus micrantha -- ash
- Fraxinus paxiana -- ash
- Fraxinus platypoda -- ash
- Fraxinus raibocarpa -- ash
- Fraxinus sieboldiana -- Chinese flowering ash
- Fraxinus spaethiana -- ash
- Fraxinus trifoliata -- ash
- Fraxinus xanthoxyloides -- Afghan ash (also in North Africa)
Ashes of Africa (North Africa only) include:
- Fraxinus angustifolia -- narrowleaf ash (also in Europe)
- Fraxinus ornus -- flowering ash (also in Europe)
- Fraxinus xanthoxyloides -- Afghan ash (also in Asia)
In
Norse mythology, the World Tree,
Yggdrasil, was an ash tree, and the man,
Ask, was formed from an ash tree (the first woman was made from
alder). Elsewhere in Europe,
snakes were said to be repelled by ash leaves or a circle drawn by an ash branch. Irish folklore claims that shadows from an ash tree damage crops. In
Cheshire, it is said that ash could be used to cure warts or rickets.
See also; Trees of Britain, Trees of the world