The Botany of Hingham. 115 



47. OLEACE-3L (OLIVE FAMILY.) 



Trees and shrubs. Though possessing bitter and astringent 

 properties they are harmless. The Olive tree is one of the best 

 known of the family, as its fruit and the oil it produces are eaten 

 throughout the civilized world. Among the cultivated plants are 

 the Common and Persian Lilacs, the Virginia Fringe tree, and the 

 Jessamine. The species native to our flora are the White, Red, 

 and Black Ash. The Privet is extensively naturalized in all parts 

 of the town. 



Ligustrum, Tourn. 



vuk/are, L. Privet. 

 Fraxinus, Tourn. 



Americana, L. White Ash. 



pubescens. Lam. Red Ash. 



sambucifolia, Lam. Black Ash. 



48. APOCYNACEJE. (DOGBANE FAMILY.) 



Apocynum, Tourn. 



androsiemifolium, L. Dogbane, 

 cannabinum, L. Indian Hemp. 



49. ASCLEPIADACE-EJ. (MlLKWEED FAMILY.) 



Herbs and shrubs ; but in Hingham, herbs only which belong 

 to the genus Asclepias, and all bear umbels of flowers. Like 

 the Apocynaceas, they have a milky juice, but the properties 

 of this as well as the other parts of the plants are much less 

 noxious. One of the most beautiful plants of New England is the 

 A. tuberosa, which is exceedingly rare, if indeed it is yet to be 

 found wild within the town limits. 



Asclepias, L. 



tuberosa, L. Butterfly-weed, 

 incarnata, L. Swamp Milkweed. 

 Cornuti, Decaisne. Hedge Milkweed, 

 obtusifolia, Mx. 



phytolaccoides, Pursh. Poke Milkweed, 

 quadrifolia, L. Four-leaved Milkweed, 

 verticillata, L. Whorled Milkweed. 



50. GENTIANACEiE. (GENTIAN FAMILY.) 



Herbs. This family has furnished us with one of the most 

 beautiful and interesting of the plants of our flora, the Fringed 

 Gentian, and care should be taken to prevent its extermination, 

 now seriously threatened. The only way to prevent this is to 

 leave at least a portion of the flowers to mature and drop their 

 seeds, it being an annual and propagated only in this way. All 



