CONTORTAE OLEACEAE 683 



Styracin, C 9 H 10 O_, one of the ketones, occurs in Styrax Benzoin, also resin, 

 bensoic acid C 7 H 6 O 2 , and cinnamic acid C 9 H g O.,. Siam benzoin contains 

 vanillin. 



CONTORTAE 



Herbs, shrubs or trees; leaves opposite or rarely alternate; flowers regular; 

 corolla gamopetalous, rarely polypetalous or wanting; stamens generally borne 

 on lower part of corolla when present, as many as the lobes or fewer; ovaries 

 2, distinct. 



FAMILIES OF CONTORTAE 



Corolla none ; stamens usually 2 Oleaceae 



Corolla present, regular; stamens as many as its lobes. 



Ovary 2; stigmas and sometimes styles united; fruit a follicle. 



Stamens distinct Apocynaceae 



Stamens monadelphous attached to a stigmatic body Asclepiadaceae 



Ovary compound, 2-celled Loganiaceae 



Ovary 1-celled Gentianaceae 



OLEACEAE. Olive Family 



Trees, shrubs, or some nearly herbaceous ; leaves opposite or rarely alternate, 

 simple or pinnate without stipules ; flowers in panicles, cymes or fascicles ; calyx 

 small, inferior, sometimes wanting; stamens 2-4; filaments separate: ovary 

 superior, 2-celled; ovules a few in each cavity; style short or none; fruit a 

 capsule, berry or drupe. About 500 species. Contains the lilacs (Syringa vul- 

 f/aris, S. persica), the jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum} cultivated in France 

 as the source of a valuable perfume; the fringe tree (Chionanthus virginica), 

 well known in cultivation, and the ashes which make valuable timber trees like 

 green ash (Fraxinus pennsyhanica, var. lanceolata), white ash (F. americana}, 

 black ash (F. nigra) and manna of Europe, F. Ornus. The sweet exudate is 

 called manna which contains mannetol and a glucoside resembling aesculin. 



The olive (Olea curopaea} of the Mediterranean region, is cultivated ex- 

 tensively in southern Spain, France, Italy to Arabia, California, and other warm 

 countries. The unripe fruit is used for table purposes by steeping in watef 

 containing lime and ash, and then pickling in a salt solution. The nearly ripe 

 or ripe olives are used in a similar way. The seed as well as fruit contains an 

 oil consisting of olein C 3 H 5 (OC 1S H 3 ^O)_, the greenish color of which is due 

 to the chlorophyll. It is nutritive and laxative. The hard wood takes a fine 

 polish. 



Edwards and Power have found an alkaloid in the bark of Fraxinus amer- 

 icana, one in the bark of Olea glandulifera, in the leaves and bark of Ligustrum 

 robustum, and in the leaves of Jasminum. The glucoside phillyrm, C 06 H 32 O 11 , 

 occurs in Osmanthus fragrans and Forsyihia suspense, and may be converted 

 into phillygenin, C 00 H 20 O fl , which may again be readily converted into ugenol 

 and vanillin. Ibo C 20 H og O 19 . a saponin-like glucoside, occurs in Ligustrum and 

 Ibotu; chionanthin is found in the bark of Chionanthus virginica, and is intensely 

 bitter. It may also contain saponin. The plant is probably somewhat poisonous. 



Ligustrum (Tourn.) L. 



Shrubs or small trees with opposite entire leaves; flowers in a terminal 

 thyrsus or panicle; corolla gamopetalous, funnelform, tube short, the limb 4- 



