CHAP. VIII.] JASMINEiE. 133 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE ORDER OLEACE^, OR JASMINES : ILLUSTRATED BY THE 

 COMMON WHITE JASMINE J THE YELLOW JASMINE ; THE 

 PRIVET ; THE PHILLYREA ; THE OLIVE ; THE FRINGE -TREE 



{Chionanthus Virginica) ; the lilac ; the common ash ; 



AND THE MANNA OR FLOWERING ASH. 



This order was established by Jussieu, who 

 dividedit intotwo tribes— Jasminese and Oleinese, 

 which are now very generally considered as 

 distinct orders. I have, however, thought it 

 best to keep them together, as I wish to make 

 as few divisions as possible, to avoid burthening 

 the memory of my readers. All the genera in 

 both tribes agree in their flowers having only 

 two stamens, an ovary with two cells, and two 

 seeds in each cell ; and anthers with two cells, 

 which open with a long slit lengthways. 



The species of the Ash have no corolla ; but 

 in all the genera where there is one, the fila- 

 ments of the stamens, which are very short, 

 are inserted in it ; and it is generally funnel- 

 shaped — as, for example, the corolla of the 

 Jasmine. Though the ovary is two-celled, and 

 the cells two-seeded, each flower very often 

 only produces one perfect seed. The leaves are 

 generally pinnate. 



