DICOTYLEDONS 1 1 1 



feeding on R. chrysanthuni has been considered to 

 be poisonous. 



Ledum palustre (of Europe) and L. latifoliuin (of 

 N. America) are two species of small shrubs, and 

 grown in gardens. They can scarcely be called 

 poisonous plants ; indeed the second is called 

 Labrador Tea, as the leaves are used for an in- 

 fusion ; but still, the leaves of both species when 

 infused in beer render it very " heady," and cause 

 headache, nausea, and even delirium ; showing that 

 they contain some deleterious principle. 



Privet Family {Oleaace). — The only members 

 of this family, natives of Great Britain, are the 

 Privet and the Ash-tree ; but the Lilac, Phillyrea, 

 and Jessamine (if this last be included, as some 

 botanists place it) are. familiar garden flowering 

 shrubs, all having opposite leaves. 



The calyx has four coherent sepals ; the corolla 

 has four coherent petals. There are only two 

 stamens adherent to the corolla and a pistil of two 

 coherent carpels. The latter forms a berry in the 

 privet, a stone-fruit or " drupe " in the Olive, a 

 bursting capsule in the Lilac, and a winged inde- 

 hiscent fruit called a " samara " in the Ash. This 

 tree is remarkable for having no calyx or corolla, 

 only the two stamens and pistil ; sometimes each 

 is alone, thus forming male and female flowers ; 

 sometimes they are together. 



Privet {Ligustrum vulgare), — This is not 



