CHIONANTHUS— LIGUSTRUM 115 



Chionanthus L i 11 11 e 1753 



(Gr. -chion, snow, a n t h u s, flower, in reference to the 

 inflorescence) 



Small trees or shrubs, with opposite simple entire leaves ; flowers in 

 panicles, appearing soon after the leaves, perfect ; sepals 4, united, petals 

 4, slightly united at the base, stamens 2 on the base of the corolla, ovary 

 2-celled; fruit a 1-seeded drupe. 



Propagation by seeds planted in the fall, by layering, or by greenwood 

 cuttings under glass. 



A genus o'f 3 species, two of them natives of China. 



Chionanthus virginica L i n n e 1753 Fringe Tree 



Shrub or small tree, 8-20 ft. high, with more or less finely hairy 

 twigs; leaves ellipsoid to obovoid, thickish, tip acute or blunt, base taper- 

 ing, smooth, long white-hairy below, 6-15 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, petioles 

 more or less white-hairy, 1-2 cm. long; flowers in open drooping panicles 

 1-2 dan. long, on slender pedicels, petals strap-shaped, white, 2-3 cm. 

 long, 1-2 mm. wide; fruit a more or less oblong black drupe, 10-14 mm 

 long : virginica, Virginian, referring to the original locality. 



Occasionally cultivated; Pa-Fla-Ark-Tex. 



Wood light brown, close-grained, hard, weight 40 lbs. ; the bark is 

 tonic and sometimes used in medicine. 



Ligustrum L i n n e 1753 

 (The ancient Latin name) 



Shrubs or small trees, with opposite simple entire leaves; flowers in 

 terminal panicles or thyrses, perfect; sepals 4, united, petals 4, united. 

 stamens 2 on the corolla tube, ovary 2-cclled; fruit a 1-3 seeded berry. 



Propagation by seeds sown in the fall, or stratified, the germination 

 often delayed, and by hardwood cuttings. 



A genus of about 35 species, natives of Eurasia. 



Ligustrum vulgare L i n n e 1753 Privet, Prim 



Shrub, 4-10 ft. high, with slender branches; leaves firm and some- 

 what persistent, elliptic, oblong, lanceolate or spatulate, entire, tip acute 

 or rounded, base tapering, smooth, 2-3 cm. long, y 2 -iy2 cm. wide, petioles 

 2-5 mm. long; flowers in erect dense panicles 3-8 cm. long, white, 5-6 

 mm. wide ; fruit a round black berry, 5-6 mm. diam. ; vulgaris, com- 

 mon. 



