OLIVE FAMILY. 279 



LXXI. OLEACEJE, OLIVE FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs, chiefly smooth, without milky juice, dis- 

 tinguished among monopetalous plants with free ovary by the 

 regular flowers having stamens almost always 2 ? and always 

 fewer than the 4 (sometimes 5 or more) divisions of the 

 corolla, the ovary 2-celled and (except in Jasminum and For- 

 sythia) with one pair of ovules in each cell; style, if any, 

 only one, rarely 2-cleft. A few are nearly or quite polypetal- 

 ous; others apetalous. Leaves opposite, simple, or pinnate. 



* Calyx and corolla icith 5-8 lobes ; a single erect ovule and seed in each cell. 



1. JASMINUM. Corolla salver-shaped, the lobes convolute in the bud. Stamens 2, in- 



cluded in the tube. Ovary and the berry-like fruit 2-lobed, 2-seeded. 



* * Calyx and corolla with the parts in fours, or sometimes (in Fraxinus) one or both 

 wanting. Ovules hanging, usually a pair in each cell, many in No. 2. Leaves 

 opposite, except accidentally. 



+- Leaves simple (trifoliolate in one of No. 2) ; flowers perfect and complete. 

 -H- Ovules and seeds numerous, or several in each cell of the ovary and pod. 



2. FOKSYTHIA. Corolla golden yellow, beU-shaped, 4-lobed, the lobes convolute in the 



bud. The 2 stamens and style short. Pod ovate. Leaves deciduous. 



H--H- Ovules a pair in each cell, but the seeds of ten fewer. 

 = Fruit a dry pod. 



8. SYRINGA. Corolla salver-form, the lobes valvate in the bud, the tube mostly much 

 longer than the 4-toothed calyx. Pod 4-seeded, flattened contrary to the narrow parti- 

 tion, 2-valved, the valves almost conduplicate. Seeds slightly wing-margined. Leaves 

 deciduous. 



-= = Fruit fleshy, berry-like. 



4. LIGUSTRUM. Corolla short funnel-form, with spreading ovate obtuse lobes, valvate 



in the bud, white. Fruit a 1-4-seeded black berry. Leaves firm and thickish, but 

 deciduous. 



5. OLEA. Corolla white, short, bell-shaped, or deeply cleft into 4 spreading lobes, which 



are valvate in the bud. Fruit a drupe, the hard stone often becoming 1-celled and 

 1-seeded. Leaves evergreen. 



6. OSMANTHUS. Distinguished from Olea chiefly by the imbricated {estivation of the 



corolla. Flowers small, in axillary fascicles or racemes. Stigma small. Leaves 

 mostly deciduous. 



7. CHIONANTHUS. Corolla white, 4-parted, or of 4 very long and narrow linear petals 



slightly or scarcely united at their base ; to which the 2 (rarely 8 or even 4 in cultiva- 

 tion) very short stamens barely adhere. Fruit a fleshy and globular drupe, the stone 

 becoming 1-celled and commonly 1-seeded. Leaves deciduous. 



- -i- Leaves pinnate ; flowers polygamous or dioecious, in most species apetalous, ap- 

 pearing in advance of the foliage. 



8. FRAXINUS. Calyx small, sometimes obsolete or wholly wanting. Petals 4, 2, or 



none. Anthers large. Fruit a simple samara or key (Lessons, Fig. 389), usually 

 becoming 1-celled and 1-seede.d. Leaves deciduous. 



