224 



CCV. OLEACE^. The Olive Tribe. 



OlxijiE.s, Hoffmannsegg et Link Fl. Port. (180G) ; Brown Prodr. 622. (1810); 

 Lindl. Symps. 171. (1829) Lilace.tj Vent. Tabl. 1. 306. (1799). 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with regular flowers, a supe- 

 rior 2-celled ovarium with pendulous seeds, 2 stamens, and a valvate corolla. 

 Anomalies. Fraxinus is generally apetalous. 



EssEXTiAL Character F/oe/^er* hermaphrotiite, sometimes dioecious. Calyx mo- 



nophyllous, divided, persistent, inferior. Corolla hypogynous, monopetalous, 4-clefl, occa- 

 sionally of 4 petals, connected in pairs by the intervention of the filaments, sometimes 

 without petals ; asiivation somewhat valvate. Stamens 2, alternate with the segments of 

 the corolla or with the petals; anthers 2-celled, opening longitudinally. Ovarium simple, 

 without any hypogynous disk, 2-celkd ; the cells 2-seeded ; the ovules pendulous and col- 

 lateral ; style 1 or ; stigma bifid or undivided. Fruit drupaceous, berried, or capsular, 

 often by abortion 1 -seeded. Seeds with dense, fleshy, abundant albumen ; embryo aiiout 

 half its length, straight ; cotyledons foliaceous, partly asunder ; radicle superior ; plumula 



inconspicuous Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, simple, sometimes pinnated. Flowers 



in terminal or axillary racemes or panicles ; the pedicels opposite, with single bracteae. 

 R. Br. 



Affinities. Very near Jasmineae, with which they are combined by 

 Ach. Richard ; see the observations upon that order. To some, it, I believe, 

 still appears expedient to separate the small tribe of Lilaceae, the repre- 

 sentative of which is the Lilac of the gardens ; but I am not aware of there 

 being any greater peculiarity in that plant than its capsular fruit, a character 

 very rarely of importance in distinguishing orders. DecandoUe suggests 

 {Essai Mtd. p. 204.) that the Ash is related to the Maple tribe. I also find 

 in the same work the following very good observations upon this order : — 

 " However heterogeneous the Olive tribe may appear as at present limited, 

 it is remarkable that the species will all graft upon each other; a fact which 

 demonstrates the analogy of their juices and their fibres. Thus the Lilac 

 will graft upon the Ash, the Chionanthus and the Fontanesia, and I have 

 even succeeded in making the Persian Lilac live ten years on Phyllirea 

 latifolia. The Olive will take on the Phyllirea, and even on the Ash : 

 but we cannot graft the Jasmine on any plant of the Olive tribe ; a circum- 

 stance which confirms the propriety of separating these two tribes." 



Geography. Natives chiefly of temperate latitudes, inclining towards 

 the tropics, but scarcely known beyond 65° N. lat. The .Ash is extremely 

 abundant in North America ; the Phyllireas and Syringas are all European 

 or Eastern plants. A ^&v! are found in New Holland and elsewhere within 

 the tropics. One Ash is a native of Nipal. 



Properties. This order offers almost the only instance of oil being 

 contained in the pericarp ; from which Olive oil is entirely expressed ; in 

 most other plants oil is yielded by the seed. The flowers are frequently 

 slightly fragrant ; those of Olea fragrans are employed in China for flavour- 

 ing tea. The bark of the Olive, but especially of the Ash, is so bitter and 

 astringent, that it has been not only highly celebrated as a febrifuge, but 

 even compared with Quinquina {Dec.) for effect. The sweet gentle purga- 

 tive, called Manna, is a concrete discharge from the bark of several species 

 of Ash, but especially from Fraxinus rotundifolia. The sweetness of this 

 substance is not due to the presence of sugar, but to a distinct principle, 

 called Mannite, which differs from sugar in not fermenting with water and 

 yeast. Turner, 682. A peculiar substance, called Olivile, is contained in 

 the gum of Olea europsea. Ihid. 701 . 



E.XAMPLES. Olea, Phvllirca, Ligustrum, Chionanthus, Fraxinus. 



