THE APETALOUS ORDERS. 457 



chiefly Asiatic shrubs, with compound leaves and fragrant flowers ; 

 differing from Oleacese by the imbricated or twisted aestivation of 

 the hypocrateriform corolla, erect seeds, &c. Ex. Jasminum, 

 the Jessamine. Cultivated for ornament, and for their -very fra- 

 grant blossoms. 



856. Subord. Bolivarieffi consists of a few American (three of 

 them Texan) plants, and one from the Cape of Good Hope, some- 

 times with simple leaves, and scarcely differing from the true 

 Jasminacese ; though some of them have four ovules in each cell. 



857. Ord, OleaceBB (the Olive Family). Trees or shrubs, with 

 opposite leaves, either simple or pinnate. Calyx persistent. Co- 

 rolla four-cleft, or of four separate petals, valvate in aestivation, 

 sometimes none. Stamens mostly two, adnate to the base of the 

 corolla. Ovary free, two-celled, with two pendulous ovules in 

 each cell. Fruit by suppression usually one-celled and one- or 

 two-seeded. Seed albuminous. Embryo straight. Ex. Olea 

 (the Olive), and Chionanthus (Fringe-tree), where the fruit is a 

 drupe. Syringa, the Lilac, which has a capsular fruit. Fraxinus, 

 the Ash ; where the fruit is a samara, the flowers are polygamous, 

 and often destitute of petals. Olive oil is expressed from the es- 

 culent drupes of Olea Europsea. The bark, like that of the Ash, 

 is bitter, astringent, and febrifugal. Manna exudes from the trunk 

 of Fraxinus Ornus of Southern Europe, &c. Forestiera, of doubt- 

 ful affinity, is perhaps to follow this order, although entirely apet- 

 alous. 



Division III. APETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS.* 



Corolla none ; the floral envelopes consisting of a single series 

 (calyx), or sometimes entirely wanting. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE ORDERS. 



Group 1. Flowers perfect, with a conspicuous or colored mostly adnate ca- 

 lyx. Ovary several-celled and many-ovuled. Capsule or berry many- 

 seeded. Herbs or climbing shrubs. ARISTOLOCHIACEJE, p. 459. 



* Numerous plants of the Polypetalous orders are apetalous, such as Clem- 

 atis, Anemone, and other Ranunculaceae, some Rhamnacea?, Caryophyllacea?, 

 OnagraceaB, Portulacaceae, Crassulaceae, Rosaceae, Aceracese, &c. Also some 

 Oleaceae and Primulaceae of the Gamopetalous series are apetalous. 

 39 



