446 GENERAL MORPHOLOGY OF PLANTS 



the black or high-bush huckleberry, eastern United States); the 

 mountain cranberry (V actinium vitisidcea = Viti,-Idcea vitisid&a) 

 in the northern hemisphere; the bilberries and blueberries 

 (V actinium) ; and the cranberries, the large American cranberry 

 (V actinium macrocarpon = Oxy coccus macrocarpus) in the cold 

 bogs of North America, and the small or European cranberry 

 (Vaccinium oxy coccus = Oxy coccus oxy coccus) in northern North 

 America, Europe and Asia. 



605. The olive family (Oleaceae) includes the common lilac 

 (Syringa), the ash trees (Fraxinus), some of which afford valu- 

 able lumber, the privet (Ligustrum, used for hedges) and the 

 olive tree. The olive tree (Olea europcea) is a native of the Old 

 World and has been cultivated in the subtropical regions of 

 Europe and Asia from early times. The fruits, which resemble 

 stone fruits, are used for pickles and for extracting olive oil. The 

 olive is cultivated successfully in parts of California, especially 

 in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys of the Coast Range 

 and in the warm belt of the Sierra Nevada. 



606. The potato family (Solanaceas) . This family is also 

 known as the nightshade family because of the number of plants 

 called " nightshade." Many of the nightshades have an evil 

 smelling foliage, and the leaves and fruits of some are poison- 

 ous. Examples are ground-cherry, belladonna, henbane, petunia, 

 jimson-weed or thorn-apple, matrimony vine, etc. This family 

 also includes several important cultivated plants, as potato, 

 tomato, tobacco, etc. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) was de- 

 rived from a wild species native to the mountain regions of the 

 Western Continent from Colorado to Chili. It was cultivated 

 by the native Indians before the discovery of America. From 

 here it was introduced into Europe and has been so extensively 

 cultivated in Ireland, where it is one of the most important foods, 

 that it is often called even in this country " Irish potato." The 

 subterranean tubers filled with starch are the parts of the plant 

 used. The tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) originated in South 

 America, where it was native in the region of the Andes Moun- 

 tains. Many varieties are now known which are extensively 



