214 stybacacEjE. [Styrax. 



in the bud. Ovary free, 1-celled from the base at the time of flowering, with 

 near 20 ovules on an axile placenta, the upper ones ascending, the lower ones 

 pendulous. Fruit globular, obtuse, opening in 3 thick valves. — Cyrta suberi- 

 folia, Miers in Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, iii, 279. 



Rather common in the Happy Valley woods, Champion ; and at Little Hongkong, Wil- 

 ford ; also Wright ; and on the adjacent continent, hnt not known out of S. China. The 

 three groups proposed by Miers, under the names of Styrax, Cyrta, and Strigilia, although 

 they cannot perhaps be so strictly limited as laid down in the work above quoted, form very 

 good sections; but it appears to me that Styrax, as a whole, is far too natural to be thus 

 broken up into distinct genera. The degree of adherence of the ovary, and of the persistence 

 of its dissepiments is variable in species otherwise closely allied. 



Order LXIX. JASMINACEJE. 



Calyx usually small, 4- or 5-lobed, or rarely 6- to 8-lobed, or toothed, or 

 almost entire. Corolla 4- or 5-lobed, or rarely 6- to 8-lobed, with a long or 

 short tube, or sometimes divided to the base into 4 petals, or rarely 2-petaled 

 or entirely wanting. Stamens 2, adhering to the base of the corolla, on op- 

 posite sides of the ovary, or hypogynous in apetalous flowers. Ovary 2-celled, 

 with 2, or rarely 1 or 3 ovules in each cell, ascending or pendulous, from the 

 inner angle. Fruit succulent or capsular, entire or 2-lobed, 2-celled, or re- 

 duced to a single cell and seed. Seeds with or without albumen. Embryo 

 straight. — Trees or shrubs, very rarely herbs. Leaves opposite, or very rarely 

 alternate, entire or pinnate. Flowers in axillary or terminal panicles, some- 

 times reduced to dense clusters. 



A small Order, dispersed over the greater part of the warmer or temperate regions of the 

 globe. The two Suborders are sometimes considered as distinct Orders. 

 f Suborder 1. Oleinese. — Corolla Globed or none. Ovules pendulous. Fruit entire. 

 Fruit dry, narrow, ending in a narrow wing. Trees with pinnate leaves . 1. Fraxinus. 

 Fruit succulent. Leaves simple, entire. 



Fruit a drupe. Panicles or clusters axillary. Corolla- lobes imbricate . 2. Olea. 



Fruit a berry. Panicles terminal. Corolla-lobes valvate 3. Ligustrum. 



Suborder 2. Jasminese. — Corolla 5- or more lobed. Ovules ascending. Fruit (when 

 perfect) 2-lobed. (Leaves in the Hongkong species compound with 3 leaflets) 4. Jasminum. 



1. FRAXINUS, Linn. 



Flowers usually polygamous. Corolla either none, or of 2 or 4 petals, 

 scarcely cohering at the base. Stigma 2-lobed. Fruit dry, indehiscent, nar- 

 row, ending in an oblong or linear stiff wing. Seeds 1 or 2, pendulous, with 

 a thin fleshy albumen. — Trees. Leaves pinnate, the leaflets usually toothed. 

 Flowers in axillary or terminal panicles or racemes. 



A rather considerable genus, dispersed over the temperate regions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, penetrating into the tropics only in mountain districts. 



1. F. retusa, Champ, in Kew Journ. Bot. iv. 330. A glabrous tree. 

 Leaflets usually 5, from ovate to ovate-lanceolate or oblong, acuminate, 2 to 

 3 in. long, on petiolules of 3 to 6 lines, slightly serrate, and much reticulated. 

 Panicles not so long as the leaves. Flowers numerous, white, on slender 

 pedicels 1 to l| lines long. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate, or very shortly and 

 obtusely 4 toothed, about \ line long. Petals 4, narrow-oblong. 1£ lines 



