OLEIN^E. I. LIGUSTRUM. 



4-cleft (f. 8. b., f. 9. a.); sometimes 4-petalled : petals connected 

 by pairs to the middle of the filaments, rather valvate in aestiva- 

 tion ; sometimes wanting. Stamens 2, alternating with the seg- 

 ments or petals of the corolla. Anthers 2-celled ; cells dehiscing 

 lengthwise. Ovarium simple, girded by no glandular disk, 2- 

 celled ; cells 2-seeded. Ovula pendulous, collateral. Style 

 simple, or wanting; stigma bifid, or undivided. Fruit drupa- 

 ceous, baccate, or capsular, often 1 -seeded by abortion. Seeds 

 with dense copious albumen. Embryo middle-sized, longitudinal, 

 straight. Cotyledons foliaceous, half free ; radicle superior ; 

 plumule inconspicuous. Trees and shrubs. Leaves opposite, 

 simple, rarely pinnate. Flowers racemose or panicled, terminal 

 or axillary, with opposite unibracteate pedicels. 



The bark of the ash is so bitter, as to be highly celebrated 

 as a febrifuge, and is even compared with quinquina for effect. 

 The sweet purgative called manna is a discharge from the bark 

 of several species of O'rnus and Fraxinus. The sweetness of 

 this substance is not due to the presence of sugar, but to a 

 distinct principle called mannite. Olive oil is expressed from 

 the pericarp of O~lea Ewropaea, 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 TRIBE I. 



OLIE\E. Corolla short, monopetalous, campanulate or urceolate, 

 4-cleft. Stamens 2, nith short filaments, and erect anthers. 

 Fruit drupaceous. 



1 LIGU'STRUM. Corolla funnel-shaped, having the tube exceed- 

 ing the calyx. Stamens inclosed. Style very short ; stigma 

 bifid. Berry globose, containing 2 chartaceous nuts. 



2 PHYLLY'REA. Corolla short, campanulate. Stamens a 

 little exserted. Stigma thickish. Berry globose, having one of 

 the cells usually abortive. 



3 O'LEA. Calyx tubular, 4-toothed. Segments of corolla 

 ovate. Stamens a little exserted. Style very short ; stigma 

 bifid, with emarginate segments. Drupe 2-celled, one of the 

 cells abortive ; nut oblong. 



4 NORONHIA. Corolla globular, thick, deeply 4-parted. An- 

 thers lying in the substance of the corolla. Style wanting. 

 Drupe containing a two-celled putamen ; one of the cells abor- 

 tive. Albumen none?. 



5 PACHYDE'RMA. Corolla globose, coriaceous, with a semi- 

 4-cleft border. Stamens inserted above the base of the corolla- 

 Ovarium 2-celled. Stigma almost sessile, obtuse. Berry only 

 1 -seeded. Albumen fleshy. 



6 MYXOPY'RUM. Corolla globose, coriaceous, plicate inside, 

 with a 4-cleft border. Stamens inserted in the middle of the 

 tube, with very short filaments. Ovarium 2-celled. Drupe 1-2- 

 celled, containing 1-4 angular 1 -seeded nuts. 



7 CHIONA'NTHUS. Calyx 4-parted. Segments of corolla elon- 

 gated, linear. Stamens inclosed. Style short ; stigma trifid. 

 Drupe containing a striated, 1-seeded nut. 



8 CHONDROSPE'RMUM. Calyx 4-toothed. Segments of co- 

 rolla linear, clavate, vertical ; throat closed by the anthers. Style 

 short ; stigma trifid. Fruit 2-celled, 1 seeded. 



TRIBE II. 



SYRINGE*. Corolla funnel-shaped, or campanulate, 4-5- 

 parted. Stamens 2, short. Fruit capsular, 2-celled. 



9 SYRINGA. Calyx tubular, short, 4-toothed. Corolla funnel- 

 shaped, with an elongated tube, and a 4-parted limb. Stamens 

 inclosed. Style filiform ; stigma thickish, bifid. Capsule ob- 

 long, 2-celled, 2-valved ; valves contrary to the dissepiment. 

 Seeds solitary, compressed ; with membranous margins. 



10 FORSY'THIA. Calyx 4-parted. Corolla sub-campanulate, 

 4-cleft. Stamens equal in length to the calyx, as well as the 

 style ; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit capsular. 



11. FONTANE'SIA. Calyx 4-parted. Corolla of 2 petals. 

 Stamens elongated, and stigma bifid. Capsule papery, indehis- 

 cent; cells 1-seeded. 



TRIBE III. 



NOTEL*'!^:. Calyx 4-parted, or 4-cleft. Corolla of 4 petals. 

 Stamens 2. Fruit drupaceous. 



12 NOTELJE V A. Calyx 4-cleft. Petals ovate, connected by 

 pairs to the filaments at the base. Drupe containing a single 

 chartaceous 1-seeded putamen. 



13 LINOCIE'RA. Calyx 4-toothed. Petals linear, connected 

 by pairs to the filaments at the base. Drupe 2-celled. 



TRIBE IV. 



FRAXINIE'^E. Flowers polygamous. Calyx 4-parted, or 

 rvanting. Corolla of 4 petals, 4-parted, or wanting. Stamens 

 2, short; anthers dehiscing externally. Stigma nearly sessile, 

 bijid. Fruit ^-celled, compressed, winged at the top, usually 1- 

 seeded. 



14 FBA'XINUS. Flowers polygamous. Petals wanting. Sa- 

 mara 1 -celled. * 



15 O'RNUS. Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous. Calyx 

 4-parted. Petals 4. Samara 2-celled. 



Tribe I. 



OLIE\flL Calyx 4-toothed or 4-cleft. Corolla short, mono- 

 petalous, campanulate, urceolate, or funnel-shaped. Stamens 2, 

 with short filaments and erect anthers. Fruit drupaceous. 



I. LIGU'STRUM (said to be from ligo, to tie, in reference 

 to its flexible branches.) Tourn. inst. t. 367. Lin. gen. no. 9. 

 Schreb. gen. no. 23. Gaertn. fruct. 2. p. 72. t. 92. Juss. 

 gen. p. 106. Lam. ill. 1. t. 7. 



LIN. SYST. Diandria, Monogy'nia. Calyx short, tubular, 

 4-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped, with the tube exceeding the 

 calyx, and the limb 4-parted. Stamens^, with short filaments, 

 inserted into the tube of the corolla. Style very short ; stigma 

 obtuse, bifid. Berry globose, containing 2 chartaceous 1-seeded 

 nuts. Albumen hardish. Embryo inverted. Shrubs with op- 

 posite leaves ; and terminal, compound, thyrsoid racemes of 

 white flowers. 



1 L. VULGA'RE (Trag. hist. 1005. Lin. spec. 1. p. 10.) leaves 

 elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous ; racemes compound, coarctate. 

 T? . H. Native of Europe, in hedges and woods ; common in 

 many parts of Britain. Smith, engl. bot. 764. Curt. lond. t. 

 300. CEd. fl. dan. 1141. Smidth, aest. baumz. 3. t. 147. 



