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Ash Details & Specifications |
| Useful
Link |
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| Botanical Name |
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Fraxinus excelsior Linn. |
| English Name |
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Ash |
| Hindi Name |
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Kum |
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| CATEGORY |
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Astringent |
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| SOURCE |
| Part used |
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State of the part used |
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Bark |
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Leaves |
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Fresh and dried |
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| FAMILY |
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Oleaceae |
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| GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE |
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The plant is indigenous to Britain and is found in following countries :-
Britain
England
Midlands
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| IDENTIFICATION |
| Organoleptic characteristics |
| Colour |
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| Odour |
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Characteristic |
| Taste |
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Bitter and astringent |
| Size |
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Various sizes |
| Physical
Standards |
| Total Ash |
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N/A |
| Moisture |
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Not more than 5.5 percent |
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| CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS |
| Major |
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Major chemical constituents responsible for physicochemical and therapeutic action of the herb are :-
? Bitter glucoside Fraxin
Bitter substance Fraxetin
Tannin
Quercetin
Mannite
/p>
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| Minor |
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Minor chemical constituents of this herb are :-
Volatile oil
Gum
Malic acid
Calcium
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| CULTIVATION |
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It has about fifty species of the genus Fraxinus, and cultivation has produced and perpetuated a large number of distinct varieties, of which the Weeping Ash and the Curl-leaved Ash are the best known. As a timber tree, the Ash is exceedingly valuable, not only on account of the quickness of its growth, but for the toughness and elasticity of its wood which in quality surpasses every European tree. After fertilization, the oblong ovary develops into a thick seed-chamber, with a long, strap-shaped wing known as an Ash-key. The bunch of keys hangs from the twigs in great clusters that are at first green and then brown as the seeds ripen. They remain attached to the tree until succeeding spring, when they are blown off and carried away by the wind to considerable distances from the parent tree. They germinate vigorously and grow in almost any soil. The wood is heavy strong, stiff and hard and takes a high polish. It shrinks only moderately in seasoning and bends well when seasoned. It is the toughest and most elastic of our timbers and can be used for more purposes than the wood of other trees.
Leaves are blackish in the month of April or May, according to season. Flower buds on the previous year's shoots expand into small dense clusters of a greenish white or purplish colour. It is known that Ash timber is so elastic that a joist of it will bear more before it breaks than one of any other tree. It matures more rapidly than Oak. Ash timber always fetches a good price, being next in value to Oak and surpassing it for some purposes, being in endless demand in railway and other wagon works for carriage building.
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| STORAGE |
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To maintain physicochemical properties and medicinal values of the herb it is recommended to maintain following storage conditions :-
? Air tight containers
Protection from light
Protection from moisture
Microbial contamination
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