OLEASTER FAMILY 



since subarctic plants seem less tolerant of heat, than 

 plants of more temperate range are of cold. The 

 flowers are whitish without and yellow within, not 

 very beautiful but delightfully fragrant. The chief 

 attraction of the bush is its silvery foliage, whose 

 metallic lustre is due to an immense number of tiny 

 white hairs arranged in starry groups, and so. com- 

 pactly placed that they look like a covering of silver. 



Of cultivated species the Garden Elasagnus or Wild 

 Olive Tree, Elceagnus angnstifolia, a native of south- 

 eastern Europe and western Asia, is one of the best. 

 This is believed to be the veritable wild olive of the 

 classic authors. It is often called the Jerusalem Wil- 

 low ; not without reason, for it certainly looks very 

 like a willow. The Portuguese call it the Tree of 

 Paradise, basing their admiration largely upon the 

 rare fragrance of the flowers. These are silvery with- 

 out and yellow within, borne in the axils of the leaves, 

 two or three together. The silvery whiteness of the 

 foliage renders the plant conspicuous wherever it may 

 be. The reddish oblong fruit, which somewhat re- 

 sembles a date, is said to be common in the markets 

 of the Levant. In its native land the plant is a tree ; 

 here it is both tree and shrub. 



The Long-stemmed Elasagnus, Elceagnus longipes, has 

 recently been introduced into this country from Japan, 

 and is highly recommended by gardeners. Another 

 excellent species for cultivation is Elceagnus innbcllata, 

 which in foliage closely resembles Elceagnus longipes. 

 The specific difference is found in the fruit. The 

 leaves of both species are a beautiful dark green above 

 and silvery white beneath. There are many other in- 



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