ASHES. 281 



Oleaster Family. 



Genus ELAEAGNUS. 



Shrubs or trees, silvery-scurfy or stellate pubescent with 

 entire leaves and perfect or polygamous flowers. The lower 

 part of the perianth of fertile flowers encloses the ovary and 

 ripens into a fleshy or mealy mass around the akene-like 

 true fruit; the upper part is 4-cleft and deciduous. Corolla 

 none; stamens 4, borne on the tube of the perianth. 



Elaeagnus angustifolia. Russian Olive. 



Leaves narrowly lanceolate, 2 to 3 inches long, white 

 scurfy on lower side, stellate pubescent ou the upper. Peri- 

 anth whitish outside and yellowish inside. 



Distribution. Europe and Asia. 



Propagation. By seeds which grow readily, by layers and 

 by autumn-made cuttings. 



Uses. The Russian Olive is a very hardy small orna- 

 mental tree of very pretty habit, chiefly valued for the con- 

 trast it gives to plantings. It has proved a very satisfactory 

 tree in this section and has endured drouth well at the Minne- 

 sota Experiment Station and at the Coteau Farm in Lyon 

 County, Minnesota, and in South Dakota. 



Olive Family. 



Genus FBAXINTTS. 



Leaves opposite, petioled, odd-pinnate with 3 to 15-toothed 

 or entire leaflets. Flowers small, dioecious or polygamous 

 and apetalous in racemes or panicles from the axils of last 

 year's leaves; stamens 2; ovary 2-celled. Fruit a flattened 

 samara, winged at the apex, usually 1-seeded. 



Propagation. By seed which may be sown as gathered in 



