334 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Oleaceae. 



The Olive Family. 



Distribution. — A family of nearly 400 species, occurring chiefly in tropical 

 and warm temperate regions. This family includes two British species, the Ash 

 (Fraxinus) and the Privet {Ligustnim), The Lilac (Syrmga vulgaris) is a well- 

 known garden plant. Frona the Olive (Olea) a valuable oil is obtained. 



Genus Olea. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves usually opposite, entire, leathery. Flowers 

 axillary, inconspicuous, racemed or panicled, Staminate flowers with a 2-4-lobed 

 calyx. Petals absent. Stamens 2 ; anthers large, exserted. Pistillate flowers 

 with an unequally 4-lobed calyx. Ovary 2-ceUed. Fruit a drupe, 1- or 2-celled. 



Olea Cunninghamii (The Maire). 



A large tree, with whitish branches. Young shoots downy. Leaves 3 in.- 

 6 in. long., linear-oblong, obtuse, leathery. Flowers greenish-white, 10-15 

 together. Raceme | in.-| in. long, erect. Drupe J in. long. North and east of 

 the North Island. Fl. Oct. -Nov. 



Olea lanceolata. 



Smaller in all its parts than 0. Cunninghamii. Bark white. Leaves 2 in.- 

 4 in. long, acute, with raised veins. Racemes 6-10-flowered, slightly hairy. 

 Flowers minute. Berry crimson, h in. long, North Island : bush. Fl. Oct.- 

 Dec. 



Loganiaceae. 



The Nux- Vomica Family. 



Distribution. — An essentially tropical family, but extending to North 

 America, Australia, and New Zealand. Many of the plants contain powerfully 

 poisonous principles, notably so the genus Strychnos. StrycJmos nux-vomica, 

 the poison-nut of the East Indies, yields the poisonous drug strychnine. The 

 Upas tree of Java is also well known as containing a deadly poison. 



