﻿OLIVE 
  FAMILY 
  189 
  

  

  DIOSPYROS 
  L. 
  

  

  Flowers 
  dioecious 
  or 
  somewhat 
  monoecious, 
  the 
  staminate 
  

   ones 
  in 
  cymes, 
  the 
  pistillate 
  ones 
  axillary 
  and 
  solitary. 
  Calyx 
  

   4-6-lobed. 
  Corolla 
  4-6-lobed. 
  Stamens 
  in 
  the 
  staminate 
  flowers 
  

   usually 
  16, 
  in 
  the 
  pistillate 
  ones 
  8, 
  imperfect. 
  Fruit 
  large, 
  

   with 
  the 
  persistent 
  calyx 
  attached 
  to 
  its 
  base, 
  4-8-seeded. 
  

  

  1. 
  D. 
  virginiana 
  L. 
  PERSIMMON. 
  Trees, 
  with 
  rough, 
  black 
  bark, 
  and 
  

   very 
  hard 
  wood. 
  Leaves 
  oval 
  or 
  ovate-oblong, 
  acute 
  or 
  acuminate 
  

   at 
  the 
  apex, 
  rounded 
  or 
  slightly 
  cordate 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  entire 
  and 
  dark 
  

   green, 
  smooth 
  above, 
  pale 
  and 
  often 
  downy 
  beneath, 
  short-petioled, 
  

   deciduous. 
  Flowers 
  yellowish-white, 
  the 
  parts 
  mostly 
  in 
  fours. 
  Fruit 
  

   globose, 
  edible 
  when 
  ripe, 
  very 
  astringent 
  when 
  green 
  ; 
  seeds 
  large, 
  

   compressed, 
  often 
  wanting. 
  Fruit 
  ripening 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  Common 
  

   in 
  old 
  fields 
  and 
  along 
  roadsides 
  S. 
  and 
  S.W.* 
  

  

  79. 
  OLEACEJE. 
  OLIVE 
  FAMILY 
  

  

  Shrubs 
  or 
  trees. 
  Leaves 
  opposite, 
  simple 
  or 
  odd-pinnate, 
  

   without 
  stipules. 
  Flowers 
  usually 
  in 
  forking 
  cymes, 
  small, 
  

   white, 
  greenish 
  or 
  yellow, 
  bisexual 
  or 
  unisexual. 
  Calyx 
  free 
  

   from 
  the 
  ovary, 
  4-lobed 
  or 
  wanting. 
  Corolla 
  hypogynous, 
  regu- 
  

   lar, 
  4-parted 
  or 
  of 
  4 
  separate 
  petals, 
  sometimes 
  wanting. 
  Sta- 
  

   mens 
  2, 
  borne 
  on 
  the 
  petals 
  or 
  hypogynous. 
  Ovary 
  2-celled. 
  

   Fruit 
  1-2-celled, 
  each 
  cell 
  1-seeded, 
  rarely 
  2-seeded 
  (in 
  For- 
  

   sythia 
  many-seeded). 
  

  

  I. 
  FRAXINUS 
  Tourn. 
  

  

  Deciduous 
  trees. 
  Flowers 
  dioecious. 
  Petals 
  wanting 
  (in 
  our 
  

   species). 
  Stamens 
  2, 
  hypogynous. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  1-2-celled 
  key, 
  each 
  

   cell 
  1-seeded. 
  

  

  1. 
  F. 
  americana 
  L. 
  WHITE 
  ASH. 
  A 
  large 
  tree; 
  bark 
  rough, 
  gray; 
  

   wood 
  hard, 
  strong, 
  elastic 
  ; 
  twigs 
  and 
  petioles 
  smooth. 
  Leaflets 
  usu- 
  

   ally 
  7, 
  ovate 
  to 
  ovate-lanceolate, 
  taper-pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  rounded 
  

   or 
  obtuse 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  entire 
  or 
  slightly 
  serrate, 
  smooth 
  above, 
  often 
  

   downy 
  beneath, 
  short-stalked. 
  Flowers 
  mostly 
  dioecious. 
  Calyx 
  of 
  the 
  

   pistillate 
  flowers 
  persistent. 
  Key 
  li-2 
  in. 
  long, 
  winged 
  only 
  at 
  the 
  

   apex; 
  wing 
  spatulate 
  or 
  oblanceolate. 
  In 
  rich 
  woods 
  and 
  swamps.* 
  

  

  2. 
  F. 
  pennsylvanica 
  Marsh. 
  RED 
  ASH. 
  A 
  small 
  tree; 
  bark 
  rough, 
  

   dark 
  gray; 
  twigs 
  and 
  petioles 
  densely 
  velvety-downy. 
  Leaflets 
  5-9, 
  

   oblong-ovate 
  to 
  ovate-lanceolate, 
  taper-pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  narrowed 
  

  

  