10 



STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



THE OLIVE. 



The Genus OLEA, Linnaeus. Calyx-Perianth (floral envelope) monophyl- 

 lous (one-leaved), tubular, small, mouth quadridentate (having four teeth 

 on the edge), erect, deciduous (falling off). Corolla monopetalous, infundi- 

 buliform (funnel-shaped) ; tube cylindrical, of the length of calyx ; limb 

 quadripartite (divided to the base into four parts), flat, laciniae (narrow, 

 slender portion of the edge) semi-ovate. Stamens two, filaments opposite, 

 subulate (awl-shaped), short; anthers erect. Pistil germ subrotund (almost 

 round); style simple, very short; stigma bifid (two-cleft), thick, laciniae 

 emarginate (notched at the summit). Drupe (stone fruit) subovate, glabrous 

 (hairless), unilocular. Seed an ovate-oblong (oblong with one end narrower 

 than the other), wrinkled nut. 



The Flower or Blossom. The flower or blossom of the 



olive develops and is 

 borne on growth of the 

 preceding year. The 

 olive puts forth growth 

 in the spring immedi- 

 ately after the awaken- 

 ing of vegetation. The 

 leaves of the first de- 

 velopment appear of a 

 lighter green than the 

 others. A little before 

 the beginning of April 

 (in warm regions, in 

 March) there appear in 

 the axis of the first leaves 

 greenish panicles, sus- 

 tained by a common 

 peduncle; in proportion 

 as the system gains in 

 consistency and growth 

 these round panicles take 

 a pyriform shape, and at 

 this stage may be seen 

 appendages or stipules 

 turned down; this is 

 of the 



i 



Flowering olive branch-reduced one half. 



which discloses in most sections in May, and in some (along 



