American Ash

American Ash (Fraxinus spp./ Oleaceae). The genus Fraxinus (Ashes) contains from 40 to 70 species that grow in the north temperate regions of Central and North America and Eurasia. All species look alike at the cellular level. Ash trees can attain heights of 80 feet with straight trunks. Ash sapwood is light brown and the heartwood is a dark brown. The wood has a straight grain and is strong, hard, stiff and heavy. It has high shock resistance (baseball bats) and varies in other properties. Ash is used for baseball bats, boxes and crates, flooring, hand tools, handle stock, millwork, sporting goods, and un-upholstered furniture.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/pdf_files/fraxinuseng.pdf.

Characteristics found in the Ash (Fraxinus spp.):

• Ring Porous
• Coalesced/Confluent parenchyma
  • Vasicentric (surrounding the vessels) Parenchyma in the latewood
  • Confluent Parenchyma (connecting vessels) towards the very end of the growth ring
• Simple perforations
• I/V pits minute (2-3)
• Rays 1-4 seriate & homocellular

WOOD SLIDES
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Cross-section of Ash (Fraxinus sp.) showing the growth ring boundary, earlywood vessels, latewood vessels, fibers and confluent parenchyma connecting latewood pores).		Cross-section of Ash (Fraxinus sp.) showing confluent parenchyma connecting latewood pores (arrowheads).

CHARCOAL SLIDES