fraxinus excelsior

Fraxinus excelsior
    n 1: tall ash of Europe to the Caucasus having leaves shiny
         dark-green above and pale downy beneath [syn: {European
         ash}, {common European ash}, {Fraxinus excelsior}]
    

Fraxinus \Frax"i*nus\, prop. n. [L., the ash tree.] (Bot.)
   A genus of deciduous forest trees, found in the north
   temperate zone, and including the true ash trees.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: {Fraxinus excelsior} is the European ash; {Fraxinus
         Americana}, the white ash; {Fraxinus sambucifolia}, the
         black ash or water ash.
         [1913 Webster]
    

Ash \Ash\ ([a^]sh), n. [OE. asch, esh, AS. [ae]sc; akin to OHG.
   asc, Sw. & Dan. ask, Icel. askr, D. esch, G. esche.]
   1. (Bot.) A genus of trees of the Olive family, having
      opposite pinnate leaves, many of the species furnishing
      valuable timber, as the European ash ({Fraxinus
      excelsior}) and the white ash ({Fraxinus Americana}).
      [1913 Webster]

   {Prickly ash} ({Zanthoxylum Americanum}) and {Poison ash}
      ({Rhus venenata}) are shrubs of different families,
      somewhat resembling the true ashes in their foliage.

   {Mountain ash}. See {Roman tree}, and under {Mountain}.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The tough, elastic wood of the ash tree.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Ash is used adjectively, or as the first part of a
         compound term; as, ash bud, ash wood, ash tree, etc.
         [1913 Webster]