XV. THE OLIVE FAMILY. 329 



CHAPTER IV. 



MONOPETALOUS PLANTS. 



FAMILY XV. THE OLIVE FAMILY. OLEA'CEJE. 



The Olive, the Lilac, the Ash and the Privet, with some other 

 less known but hardly less dissimilar shrubs and trees, form 

 this family. It is apparently made up of discordant mate- 

 rials, bnt their analogy in nature is proved, not only by their 

 distinctive characters, but by the fact, that all the species are 

 capable of being successfully grafted on each other. The Lilac 

 will graft upon the Ash and the Fringe tree, and the Olive will 

 take on the Philly'rea and even on the Ash itself. — (Z> C, Prop. 

 Med., 206.) The essential character is as follows. 



The plants belonging to it are trees or shrubs with opposite 

 branches, four-cornered or compressed branchlets, opposite, en- 

 tire, simple or pinnate leaves, without stipules. The flowers, in 

 terminal or axillary racemes or panicles, perfect, or sometimes 

 wanting stamens or pistil; with a persistent calyx of four parts 

 or divisions; a corolla of four petals, sometimes distinct, some- 

 times united, rarely altogether wanting; two stamens, (some- 

 times more,) and a two-celled ovary with a very short style. 

 The fruit is various ; frequently it is a one-celled, one-seeded 

 drupe, as in the olive ; sometimes a capsule with two valves ; 

 sometimes a winged capsule or key, as in the ash. The plants 

 of this family, chiefly natives of temperate climates, present 

 various claims to the consideration of man ; some of them pro- 

 duce durable and elastic wood ; others, fruits full of a valuable 

 oil, or important as articles of food ; some of them, fragrant and 

 showy flowers; others, medicinal juices. 



The bark and leaves of the greater part are bitter and astrin- 

 gent ; the bark of the ash, especially, possesses these properties 

 to such a degree, that it has been successfully employed as a 

 substitute for Peruvian bark in the treatment of fever. From 

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