Circle Genealogic and Historic Champanellois

Association "Law 1901" of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, 63 , France

If there is a tree characteristic of the zone "des Dômes", it is well the common ash.

Before the importation of other exotic natural quality, intented for the forestry development on the initiative of the Lord of Montlosier, this tree was one of most comon and most useful for the farmers of our commune.

One is accustomed to saying that "dans le cochon tout est bon ! / in the pig all is good !" but this maxim applies also perfectly to the ash.

One planted for materialize the agricultaural limits of pieces. Its systeme of robust and horizontal roots enabled him to develop well in our grounds little equipped out of arable land.

Its wood was used initially for the heating of the tatched cottages, then with the industry of handles of the agricultural tools because it is elastic and hard.

Once, one used the leaves of this tree as forages of winter [pruning] to nourish cattle because hay was often missed but nowadays, this use was abandoned. The fact of being often tiny room with a trunk made called "tree-tadpole / arbre-têtard".

Latin name : fraxinus excelsior

family : oléacées, family of the olive-trees. order of the oléales. Other plants of this family : olive-tree, privets, jasmine, lilac.

leaves : opposed, large, petiolate, from 9 to 15 leaflets nonpetiolate, oval, pointed, toothed, green dark.

flowers : laid out in "panicules" side opposite and short and coming from the side buds from the short branches from the previous year. The ash can carry flowers males, females or hermaphrodites but, one can meet only male trees or only females.

The females trees consuming more energy to produce the fruits, they produce less wood. So, one plants more productive male trees in the arranged forests of ashes.

fruits : the fruits are called "samares" (dry fruits with one seed, very thin, which have a membranous wing). Those remain hung extremely a long time to the tree and often do not fall before the winter.

barks : the young ashes haver a smooth bark, green gray then clearly and into growing old this one takes an aspect more cracked with deep clefts and often foam and the lichens settle there.

buds : they are black, velvety and opposite.

preferred habitat : the ash appreciates the grounds fertile and preferably wet but witout stagnant water.

The ash in Saint-Genès-Champanelle