66 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



plocaceae and Sapotacese. The superior several-celled 

 ovary, unisexual flowers and absence of milky juice 

 are important distinctive characters. 



The wood of many species, especially of the genus 

 Diospyros, furnishes the ebony of commerce. The 

 fruit of Diospyros Lotus is known as date plum in 

 Asia. The fruit of the persimmon (Diospyros virgin- 

 tana) is also edible. The bark of persimmon is some- 

 times used in medicine. 



Three or 4 genera are in cultivation in North America 

 for ornamental purposes. Maba, from Natal, and 

 Royena, from South Africa, are not hardy. Diospyros 

 (Common Persimmon and Kaki), hardy or tender, 

 depending on the species, is grown for ornament or fruit. 



183. Styracaceae (from the genus Styrax, the ancient 

 Greek name of the storax tree). STORAX FAMILY. Fig. 

 48. Shrubs or small trees: leaves alternate, simple: flow- 

 ers bisexual, regular; calyx 4-5-cleft; corolla mostly 4-5- 

 lobed, the lobes almost separate, imbricated or valvate; 

 stamens in one series, hypogynous or epipetalous, 

 twice as many as the lobes of the corolla, rarely just as 

 many, separate or more or less united; ovary superior, 

 rarely half-inferior, 1-celled at the top, 3-5-celled at 

 the bottom; 1, rarely several, ovules in each cell; style 

 1; stigmas 1-5: fruit a capsular drupe. 



Six genera and about 100 species are distributed in the 

 warmer regions of South and Central America, south- 

 eastern United States, eastern Asia, and the Mediter- 

 ranean region. The family is very closely related to the 

 Symplocacese; also to the Ebenaceae and Sapotacese. 

 The superior, imperfectly several-celled ovary, bisexual 

 flowers and absence of milky juice are distinctive. 

 Fossil species are known. 



Styrax Benzoin of the East Indies yields the fragrant 

 resin known as benzoin. It is a pathological product 

 of the tree. Some Brazil inn species of Styrax and some 

 species of Pamphilia also yield a fragrant resin which 

 is burned as incense in the churches. The storax of 

 the ancients was obtained from Liquidambar orientalis 

 (family Hamamelidaceae). 



Two or 3 genera are in cultivation in America: 

 Halesia (Silver Bell, Snowdrop Tree), of eastern United 

 States, is hardy; Styrax (Storax) of China, Japan, and 

 America, is semi-hardy. Pterostyrax of Japan is by 

 some referred to Halesia. 



184. Symplocaceae (from the genus Symplocos, de- 

 rived from the Greek, meaning connected, referring to 

 the stamens). SYMPLOCOS FAMILY. Fig. 48. Trees or 

 shrubs: leaves alternate, simple: flowers bisexual, or less 

 commonly unisexual, regular; calyx 5-lobed, gamosepa- 

 lous, imbricated; corolla-lobes 5 or 10, in 1 or 2 series, 

 gamopetalous, imbricated; stamens 15 to many in 1-3 

 or many series, separate, or slightly united with each 

 other and the corolla, hypogynous or epipetalous; 

 ovary inferior or half-inferior, 2-5-celled, with about 

 2 ovules in each cell; style 1; stigmas 1-5: fruit dru- 

 paceous. 



Only one genus and about 275 species are found in 

 tropical lands; they are most abundant in the Malay 

 region and East India. A few species in Japan, and 

 one in North America, extend the family into the 

 temperate zone. Symplocos tinctoria reaches Delaware. 

 The family is related to the Styracaceae, and is often 

 united with it. The inferior, completely several-celled 

 ovary, and numerous stamens, are important charac- 

 teristics. Fossil species are known. 



The bark of Symplocos racemosa is used as a medicine 

 in the East Indies under the name lotus bark. The 

 leaves of S.- spicata and the roots of S. tinctoria are 

 used in the preparation of yellow dye-stuffs. S. cratse- 

 goides is a hardy ornamental shrub from Japan. 



Order 49. CONTORTS: 



185. Oleaceae (from the genus Oka, derived from 

 the Greek meaning, originally, olive tree, and later oil, 



i. e., olive oil). OLIVE FAMILY. Fig. 49. Trees or 

 shrubs: leaves opposite, simple or pinnate: flowers bi- 

 sexual or unisexual, regular, small and numerous; calyx 

 4-lobed, rarely 4-15-lobed, valvate; corolla 4-lobed, 

 rarely 6-12-lobed, gamopetalous, rarely polypetalous, 

 or 0, hypogynous, valvate; stamens 2, rarely 3-5, 

 epipetalous, alternate with the corolla-lobes; ovary 

 superior, 2-celled; ovules usually 2 in each cell; style 1 

 or 0; stigmas 1-2: fruit a drupe, berry, capsule, or 

 samara. 



Oleacete has 20 genera and more than 400 species, 

 of temperate and tropical lands; these are especially 

 abundant in the East Indies and East Asia. About 10 

 species are native in northeastern North America. 

 Fossil species are known. The family is related to the 

 Loganiacea>; possibly also to the Celastraceas and 



49. QLEACE*: 1. Olea, o, flower; b, floral diagram. 2. Fraii- 

 nus, fruit. LOQANIACE.E: 3. Logania, flower. GENTIANACEXE: 4. 

 Gentiana, a, flower; 6, floral diagram. APOCYNACE/E: 5. Apocy- 

 num, a, flower; 6, floral diagram; c, fruit. 6. Vinca, pistil. 



Rubiacese. The numerical plan of 4, the 2 stamens and 

 the superior ovary are important distinctive character- 

 istics. 



The most useful plant is the olive (Olea europaea) 

 of the Orient, long cultivated in the Mediterranean 

 region. The oil expressed from the fruit is used as food, 

 and for other purposes. The unripe fruits, preserved 

 in brine, are the olives of commerce. The bark of the 

 fringe tree and privet contains medicinal principles of 

 minor importance, as do also the leaves of the lilac. 

 A saccharine exudation from the bark of Fraxinus 

 Ornus of Sicily, induced by the puncture of a cicada, 

 is manna (See, also, Tamarix mannifera). The wood of 

 olive and ash are valuable. The flowers of Osmanthus 

 fragrans have been used to scent tea in China. 



A dozen genera are in cultivation in North America: 

 Chionanthus (Fringe Tree), hardy; Forsythia (Golden 

 Bell), hardy; Fontanesia, hardy; Fraxinus (Ash), hardy; 

 Jasminum (Jasmine, Jessamine), of the greenhouse and 

 the South; Ligustrum (Privet), hardy; Olea (Olive), 



