| Ash | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||||
| *Some botanists include the Oleaceae in the order Lamiales. | ||||||||||||
The Genus Fraxinus is in the olive family (Family Oleaceae). Ashes are usually medium to large trees. Most have pinnately-compound, opposite leaves. Seeds are borne in keys, a type of fruit known as a samara.
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.
Ashes of eastern North America include:
Ashes of western and southwestern North America include:
Ashes of Europe include:
Ashes of Asia include:
Ashes of Africa (North Africa only) include:
Cultural aspects
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