Fraxinus angustifolia

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Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl

Fraxinus angustifolia is closely related to Fraxinus excelsior and is also wind-pollinated. In contrast to F. excelsior it is andromonoecious (trees carry a mixture of male and hermaphrodite inflorescences). It is distinguished from F. excelsior by brown buds and a simple racemous inflorescence structure with fewer (10-30) flowers.

Studies of this ash have been conducted by the EU-funded research project FRAXIGEN.

F. angustifolia is usually divided into three subspecies:

The Narrow-leaved Ash - Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl ssp. angustifolia - occurring in south central and western parts of Europe.
The Caucasian Ash - Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl ssp. oxycarpa (Willd.) Franco & Rocha Afonso (of which F. pallisiae is a synonym) - occurring in southeastern parts of Europe.
The Syrian Ash - Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl ssp. syriaca (Boiss.) Yalt. - occurring from Turkey to Central Asia. F. potamophila and F. sogdiana are treated as synonyms of this subspecies.

To see a larger picture click on the small ones!
Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. angustifolia, all photos from the Andalusian mountains in Spain, 1 April 2000.
	Big tree out on a pasture.	Foliage of the previous tree.	Small tree in an olive orchard.	Foliage of the previous tree.

Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. angustifolia.			ssp. oxycarpa
Small roadside trees, Sicily, 4 May 1996.	Tree, Sicily, 23 April 1996.	Fruiting branch, Sicily, 4 May 1996.	Hermaphrodite inflorescences, Göteborg Botanical Garden (Sweden), 4 May 1995.

Maintained by Eva Wallander | Last updated: 2013-01-06