ORDER XCI. OLEACE^E OLIVE-TRIBE. 



189 



inflated. Seeds flat, furnished with a long tuft of silky hairs. 



Per. 



* Leaves opposite. 



\. A. Cornuti. Common Milkweed. 



Stem erect, simple, rarely branching; leaves nearly oval, tapering at both 

 extremities, petiolate, smooth above, pubescent beneath ; flowers in large, dense, 

 simple, globose umbels, axillary and terminal, odorous ; calyx-segments lanceo- 

 late; petals reflexed. dull purple; crown nearly of the same color, obtuse, bi- 

 dentate; horn short and stout; pods mostly acuminate, covered with soft, 

 spine-like processes. A very common and coarse weed, 85 ft. high, in rich 

 soils and road-sides. Every part of the plant in this, and the whole genus, is 

 full of a white, eticky milk, which, however, is the most abundant in this spe- 

 cies. July. 



2. A. phytolaccoides. Poke-leaved Milkweed. 



Mostly smooth ; stem erect, tall, simple ; leaves broad-ovate ; upper ones 

 often oval-lanceolate ; all tapering at both ends, short-petiolate, entire, paler 

 and smooth, or slightly downy beneath ; umbels on terminal and lateral pedun- 

 cles, nearly equalling the leaves ; pedicels numerous, long, slender, loose, nod- 

 ding, nearly as long as the peduncle ; segments of the reflexed corolla greenish- 

 white; hoods of the crown white or flesh-colored, truncate, 2-toothed at sum- 

 mit A handsome species, with large leaves and flowers, common in moist 

 thickets. Stem 35 ft high. June. 



3. A. obtusifulia. Blunt-leaved Milkweed. 



Smooth and somewhat glaucous ; stem erect, simple, terminating in 1, rarely 

 2, long-pednncled umbels ; leaves oval or oblong-ovate, obtuse, mucronate, ses- 

 sile, somewhat clasping and cordate at base, very undulate on the margin; 

 umbel large, many-flowered, smooth ; pedicels long and slender ; flowers large ; 

 corolla greenish-purple ; hoods of the crown large, shorter and paler than the 

 slender horn. A common species, in sandy woods and soils, distinguished by 

 its waved leaves and long-peduncled, terminal, globose umbels. Stem 2 3 ft. 

 high. July. 



4. A. incarnata. 



Swamp Milkweed. 



Nearly smooth ; stem erect, branching above, marked with 2 pubescent 

 lines, as also the branches and peduncles ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute or 

 acuminate, obtuse at base, with distinct petioles; umbels numerous, many- 

 flowered, erect, often opposite ; peduncles half as long as the leaves ; segments 

 of the corolla reddish-purple ; hoods of the crown flesh-color, entire, about as 

 long as the subulate, incurved horns. A common species, 23 ft. high, in wet 

 grounds. It occurs with broader leaves, more or less pubescent, which is the 

 var. pulchra* July Aug. 



* * Leaves mostly not opposite. 



5. A. quadrifolia. Four-leaved Milkweed. 



Smooth ; stem erect, slender, simple ; leaves ovate, sometimes ovate-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, petiolate, smooth and thin, mostly in whorls of 4 ; others oppo- 

 site ; umbels few, loose, on long, axillary or terminal peduncles ; pedicels fili- 

 form, marked with a pubescent line ; segments of the corolla white, tinged 

 with pink ; hoods of the crown white, 2-toothed ; horn stout and thick. A very 

 delicate and elegant species, 12 ft. high, not uncommon In dry woods. July. 



6. A. verticillata. 



Whorled Milkweed. 



Nearly smooth ; stem erect or decumbent at base, branching above, marked 

 with lines of minute hairs, leafy ; leaves narrow-linear, revolute on the margin, 

 paler beneath, in numerous whorls of 5 or 6; umbels few, small, arising from 

 the upper whorls, on peduncles as long as the leaves; segments of the corolla 

 ovate, greenish -white; hoods of the crown white, hardly half as long as the 

 arching horns; pods very smooth. An elegant species, 1 2 ft. high, marked 

 by its abundant, narrow leaves in numerous whorls. Common on dry hills in 

 some districts, especially Southern N. Eng. July Sep. 



7. A. tuberosa. 



Butterfly-weed. 



Stems erect, ascending, clustered, hairy, leafy, with divaricate branches at 

 top; leaves scattered, oblong-lanceolate ranging to almost linear, entire, sessile, 

 or the lower ones shortly-petioled, hairy, obtuse at base ; umbels numerous, on 

 short peduncles, forming a large, terminal, showy corymb ; flowers numerous, 

 bright orange; segments of the corolla greenish-yellow; hoods of the crown 

 narrow-oblong, bright orange ; horns slender, nearly erect ; pods clothed with 

 minute down. A very splendid species, not uncommon in dry, sandy soils. 

 The thick, fleshy root sends up a cluster of erect stems, which are often stained 

 with purple, 2 ft high. July Sept. 



ORDER XCI. Oleacese. Olive-tribe. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE GENERA. 



* Flowers al^ways perfect and. complete. 



1. SYEINGA. Calyx minute, with 4 erect teeth. Corolla salver-form, with a 

 long tube. 



2. LIQUSTRUM. Calyx tubular, with 4 minute teeth. Corolla funnel-form, 

 with a short tube. 



3. CIIIONANTHUS. Corolla consisting of 4 very long, linear, scarcely united 

 petals. 



* * Flowers polygamous or dicEcioiis. 



4. FKAXINUS. Petals mostly none. Trees with pinnate leaves. Fruit a 

 samara. 



1. SYKfNGA. 



Calyx small, with 4 erect lobes. Corolla salver-form; tube 

 much longer than the calyx-limb, 4-cleft, with obtuse, spreading 

 segments. Stamens short, included in the tube. Capsule 2- 

 celled, 2-valved. Shrubs. 



1. S. vulgaris. 



Lilac. 



Leaves cordate, entire, smooth, green on both sides ; flowers light purple, 

 large, fragrant, in dense thyrses ; corolla-limb somewhat concave. A very or- 

 namental shrub, universally cultivated. Stem 5 8 ft. high, very bushy. There 

 are varieties with bluish-purple and white flowers. April May. 



2. S. Persica. 



Persian Lilac. 



Leaves smooth, lanceolate or pinnatifld, green on both sides ; flowers of a 

 lighter purple, and in smaller, looser thyrses than those of the last, fragrant ; 

 limb of the corolla flat. A smaller and more delicate shrub than the last, fre- 

 quent in cultivation, but not so common as S. vulgaris. Stem 3 6 ft. high. 

 April May. 



2. LIGtrSTKUM. 



Calyx tubular, short, deciduous, with 4 minute teeth. Corolla 

 funnel-form, 4-lobed ; tube short ; lobes spreading, ovate, obtuse. 

 Stamens inserted on the corolla-tube, included. Stigma 2-cleft. 

 Berry 2-celled, 2 4-seeded. 



1. L. vulgare. Prim. 



Shrubby; leaves oblong-lanceolate, varying to obovate, acute, or obtuse 

 entire, smooth, dark green, on short petioles; flowers small, white, in dense, 

 terminal, thyrspid panicles; anthers large, exsert; berries black, bitter. A 

 smooth shrub, 4 6 ft high, with dark green leaves, which are mostly persist- 

 ent till late in the winter. It is frequently used for hedges in the vicinity of 

 cities, where it has become naturalized in thickets and road sides. May June. 



8. CHIONlNTHUS. 



Calyx very small, persistent, 4-parted. Corolla in 4 very 

 long and linear divisions, scarcely united at base. Stamens very 

 short, inserted at the base of the corolla. Style very short. 

 Drupe fleshy, 1-celled, 1-seeded. Trees. 



1. C. Virginica. 



Fringe-tree. 



Leaves oval-oblong or obovate-lanceolate, smooth or somewhat downy, 

 petiolate, entire ; flowers snow-white, on long pedicels, in terminal and axillary 

 racemes, forming rather dense, drooping panicles; calyx smooth; segments of 

 the corolla linear, acute, $' J' long; drupes purple, covered with a bloom. A 

 large shrub, or small tree, very ornamental in cultivation. Its snow-white 

 flowers are arranged in gracefully drooping panicles. May June. 



4. FElXINUS. 



Flowers polygamous or dioecious, often perfect. Staminate 

 flowers calyx small, 4-cleft, or wanting; petals 4, commonly 

 wanting in the N. American species ; stamens usually 2. Pistil- 

 late flowers calyx and corolla as in the staminate ; style single ; 

 stigma 2-cleft. Fruit a 1 2-celled samara, flattened, winged at 

 apex, mostly 1-seeded by abortion. Leaves pinnate. Trees. 



1. F. Americana. White Ash. 



Leaflets 1 9, petiolate, oblong or oblong-ovate, acuminate, entire or ob- 

 scurely toothed, glaucous beneath, mostly smooth, except on the veins ; calyx 

 present; corolla wanting; fertile flowers in loose panicles; the barren in dense, 

 contracted ones; samara obtuse, narrow, spatulate, with a long, tapering base. 

 A large and noble forest tree of symmetrical growth. The trunk is covered 

 with gray, more or less furrowed bark, while the branchlets are smooth, with a 

 greenish-gray bark. Common every where in rich woods. April May. 



