916 OLEACEAE 



Order 4. OLEALES. 



Shrubs or trees, or rarely herbaceous plants, of great economic value. Stems 

 erect or climbing. Leaves opposite, or rarely alternate or whorled, sometimes 

 persistent : blades simple or pinnately-compound : stipules wanting : leaflets 

 entire or toothed. Inflorescence variously disposed. Flowers perfect, or polyga- 

 mous or dioecious, complete or incomplete, mostly regular. Calyx free : sepals 4 

 or more, partially united, sometimes wanting. Corolla of 2-6 distinct or partially 

 united narrow imbricated or valvate petals, or sometimes wanting. Androecium 

 of 2 or 4 stamens adnate to the base of the corolla. Filaments commonly 

 short. Anthers variable. Ovary free, 2-celled. Stigmas capitate or 2-lobed. 

 Ovules 2 in each cavity, pendulous, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit a cap- 

 sule opening loculicidally by 2 valves, a samara or a berry, usually by suppres- 

 sion 1-celled. Seeds commonly solitary, sometimes 2-4 with a usually thin 

 testa. Endosperm fleshy or somewhat horny, often oily, sometimes wanting. 

 Embryo straight. 



FAMILY 1. OLEACEAE Lindl. OLIVE FAMILY. 



Characters of the order. 



Fruit dry. an indehiscent or dehiscent capsule. 



Fruit a variously dehiscent capsule : leaf-blades simple. 



Capsule not paired, opening loculicidally by 2 valves : ovules and seeds pendulous : calyx-lobes 4. 



1. SYRINGA. 

 Capsules paired, opening septicidally by 2 valves : ovules and seeds erect or 



ascending : calyx-lobes 7-15. 



Corolla rotate or campanulate : stamens exserted ; filaments filiform. 2. MENODORA. 



Corolla salverform ; stamens included : anthers nearly sessile. 3. MENODOROPSIB. 



Fruit a samara : leaf-blades compound at least in our species. 4. FRAXINUS. 



Fruit fleshy, a drupe or rarely a berry. 



Flowers apetalous or sometimes with 1 or 2 small petals, mainly polygamo-dioe- 



cious : styles slender. 5. ADELIA. 



Flowers with a corolla, perfect or polygamous : styles short or stout. 



Corolla rotate, with elongated strap-like nearly distinct petals : leaves decidu- 

 ous. 6. CHIONANTHUS. 

 Corolla funnelform or salverform, with short lobes: leaves mostly persistent. 



Corolla funnelform, white ; lobes induplicate-valvate. 7. LIGUSTRUM. 



Corolla salverform, greenish ; lobes imbricated. 8. OSMANTHUS. 



fl. SYRINGA L. 



Shrubs, with much -branched stems. Leaves opposite: blades entire. Flowers in termi- 

 nal panicles, fragrant. Calyx-lobes unequal. Corolla white or purple : tube cylindric : 

 lobes 4. Ovary 2-celled : styles united, elongated : stigma 2-cleft. Ovules 2 in each cavity, 

 pendulous. Capsule leathery, somewhat elongated, terete or slightly flattened, loculicidally 

 2-valved. Seeds flattened, obliquely winged. Endosperm fleshy. 



1. Syringa vulg&ris L. An erect shrub, with glandular-puberulent young foliage. 

 Leaves numerous ; blades thlckish, ovate, 5-10 cm. long, acuminate, varying from acute 

 to cordate at the base ; petioles 1-4 cm. long : panicles short-peduncled, 1-3 dm. long : 

 pedicels club-shaped, 2-6 mm. long : calyx oblique, 2-2.5 mm. long ; lobes ovate to tri- 

 angular, acute : corolla lilac or white ; lobes oval, varying to ovate or obovate : capsules 

 oblong, about 1.5 cm. long. 



In waste places and gardens. Native of eastern Europe. Spring. LILAC. 



2. MENODORAH.B.K. 



Shrubs or herbaceous perennials, with glabrous, or rarely pubescent foliage. Leaves 

 opposite or alternate : blades entire, toothed or pinnately lobed. Flowers showy, solitary 

 at the ends of branchlets, or sometimes in corymbose cymes. Calyx persistent: tube short : 

 lobes 5-15, narrow. Corolla white, yellow or reddish, campanulate to rotate : tube rela- 

 tively short : lobes 5-6, imbricated, blunt. Stamens 2-3, exserted : filaments filiform. 

 Ovary 2-celled : stigma capitate. Ovules 4, or rarely 2. Capsule membranous, didymous, 

 circumscissile near the middle. Seeds usually two in each cavity. Endosperm wanting. 



Leaf-blades entire or undulate : capsules erect. 1. M. scabra. 



Leaf-blades pinnately cleft or parted : capsules nodding. 2. M. heterophylla. 



