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New classification of Fraxinus L. (Wallander 2008)

The genus Fraxinus, the Ashes, is one of 24 extant genera in the Oleaceae family. The table below lists the 43 species I recognize in the genus. Some of the species are linked to photos and other information. There are much synonymy in Fraxinus and I am only listing the most common ones. The sectional delimitation deviates from Lingelsheim (1920), the latest monograph of the entire genus, and is based on a molecular phylogeny (ITS, rps16 and trnL-F data).

The molecular phylogeny of Fraxinus was first presented at the Botany 2000 conference (abstract). The phylogeny and a proposed new classification was included in my PhD thesis (Wallander 2001). The molecular analysis was thereafter expanded and the classification revised again. It was finally published in 2008:

Wallander, E. 2008. Systematics of Fraxinus (Oleaceae) and evolution of dioecy. Plant Syst Evol 273: 25-49. [PDF]

Section Species A few common synonyms English nameDistribution
Dipetalae anomala Torr. ex S. Wats. lowelli Sarg., potosina T. S. Brandeg. Dwarf Ash, Singleleaf Ash, Utah Ash SW USA, N Mexico
dipetala Hook. et Arn. jonesii Lingelsh., trifoliata (Torr.) Lewis & Epling, parryi Moran Two-petal Ash, Foothill Ash, California Flowering Ash SW USA, N Mexico (Baja California)
quadrangulata Michx.   Blue Ash E & C USA, C Canada
Ornus apertisquamifera Hara     Japan
bungeana DC   Bunge Ash China
floribunda Wall. insularis Hemsl., odontocalyx Handel-Mazzetti ex E. Peter, retusa Champ. ex Benth.   C & E Asia (from Afghanistan to Japan)
griffithii G. B. Clarke bracteata Hemsley, eedenii Boerl. & Koord., ferruginea Lingelsh., formosana Hayata, philippinensis Merr.   E Asia (from NE India to Japan and Indonesia)
lanuginosa Koidz. var. lanuginosa and var. serrata (Nakai) Hara     Japan
malacophylla Hemsl. retusifoliolata Feng ex P. Y. Bai   China, Thailand
ornus L.   Manna Ash Mediterranean area, N Africa and SW Asia
paxiana Lingelsh. depauperata (Lingelsh.) Z. Wei, sikkimensis (Lingelsh.) Handel-Mazzetti, suaveolens W. W. Smith   Himalayas, China
raibocarpa Regel     C Asia (Turkestan mountains, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan)
sieboldiana Blume mariesii Hook. f. Chinese Flowering Ash China, Japan, Korea
trifoliolata W. W. Smith punctata S. Y. Hu   China
baroniana Diels     China
chinensis Roxb. caudata J. L. Wu, lingelsheimii Rehder, japonica Blume ex K. Koch, medicinalis S. S. Sun, rhynchophylla Hance, sargentiana Lingelsh., szaboana Lingelsh., yunnanensis Lingelsh. Chinese Ash China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
longicuspis Sieb. & Zucc. borealis Nakai, pubinervis Blume Japanese Ash Japan
micrantha Lingelsh.     C Asia (Punjab to Nepal, Himalayas)
Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. ssp. angustifolia rotundifolia Mill. (nom. rejected), parvifolia Lam. (nom. illegit.) oxyphylla ssp. angustifolia (Vahl) P. Fourn., oxycarpa Willd. var. angustifolia (Vahl) Lingelsh., excelsior L. ssp. excelsior var. angustifolia (Vahl) Fiori & Paol. Narrow-leaved Ash SW Europe
angustifolia Vahl. ssp. oxycarpa (M.Bieb. ex Willd.) Franco & Rocha Afonso oxycarpa Willd., oxyphylla M. Bieb. (nom. illeg.), pallisiae A. J. Willmott, pojarkoviana V.N.Vassil. Caucasian Ash SE Europe
angustifolia Vahl. ssp. syriaca (Boiss.) Yalt. syriaca Boiss., oxycarpa Willd. var. syriaca (Boiss.) Yalt., potamophila Herder, regelii Dippel, sogdiana Bunge Syrian Ash W & E Asia (Turkey to Pakistan and Russia) and Algeria
excelsior L.   Common Ash, European Ash C & N Europe
mandshurica Rupr. nigra ssp. mandshurica (Rupr.) S. S. Sun, mandshurica Rupr. var. japonica Maxim. Manchurian Ash E Asia (China, Japan, Korea, E Russia)
nigra Marsh. sambucifolia Lam. Black Ash (swamp ash, water ash, brown ash, hoop ash, basket ash) E USA, E Canada
platypoda Oliv.   China
Melioides americana L. biltmoreana Beadle White Ash, American ash E USA, E Canada
berlandieriana A. DC. Berlandier Ash, Mexican Ash, Arizona Ash SW USA, NE Mexico
caroliniana Mill. cubensis Griseb., pauciflora Nutt., hybrida Lingelsh., floridana (Wenzig) Sarg. Water Ash, Carolina Ash, Florida Ash, Swamp Ash, Pop Ash SE USA
latifolia Benth. oregona Nutt. Oregon Ash W USA
papillosa Lingelsh.   Chihuahuan Ash SW USA (SE Arizona, SW New Mexico, Texas), Mexico (W Chihuahua, NE Sonora)
pennsylvanica Marsh. lanceolata Borkh. Red Ash, Green Ash C & E USA, Canada
profunda (Bush) Bush tomentosa Michx. f., michauxii Britt. Pumpkin Ash E USA
texensis A. Gray Texas Ash, Mountain Ash USA (Texas)
uhdei (Wenzig) Lingelsh. americana L. var. uhdei, cavekiana Standley & Steyerm., chiapensis Lundell, hondurensis Standley Shamel Ash, Tropical Ash, Mexican Ash, Fresno Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA (Hawaii, Puerto Rico)
velutina Torr attenuata M.E. Jones, pistaciaefolia Torr., toumeyi Britton, standleyi Rehder Velvet Ash, Arizona Ash, Desert Ash, Leatherleaf Ash, Smooth Ash, Toumey Ash, Fresno SW USA, N Mexico
Pauciflorae dubia (Willd. ex Schult & Schult f.) P. S. Green & M. Nee schideana Schlecht. & Cham., petenensis Lundell   Mexico, Guatemala
gooddingii Little   Goodding's Ash SW USA (Arizona), N Mexico
greggii A. Gray schiedeana var. parviflora Torr, nummularis M. E. Jones Gregg's Ash, Littleleaf Ash SW USA, Mexico
purpusii Brandegee vellerea Standley & Steyerm., bicolor Standley & Steyerm.   Mexico, Guatemala
rufescens Lingelsh.     Mexico
Sciadanthus xanthoxyloides (G. Don) DC. dimorpha Coss. & Dur. Afghan Ash, Algerian Ash N Africa (Algeria, Morocco) to Asia (Afghanistan to China)
hubeiensis S. Z. Qu, C. B. Shang & P. L. Su     China
incertae sedis cuspidata Torr. macropetala Eastw. Fragrant Ash, Flowering Ash SW USA, Mexico
chiisanensis Nakai     Korea
spaethiana Lingelsh.     Japan


Maintained by Eva Wallander | Last updated: 2010-02-122