172 



N. Ord. OLEACE^J. 



Genus Olea/iwm.* DC. Prod., viii, pp. 283288. About 35 

 species are known, found in the warmer parts of both 

 hemispheres, but chiefly in the old world. 



172. Olea europsea, Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. I, p. 8 (1753). 



Olive. 



Syn.O. Oleaster, Ho/m. & Link. O. lancifolia, Moench. O. gallica, 

 Mill, 



Figures. Woodville, t. 98; Steph. & Ch., i, t. 15; Nees, t. 212; Hayne, 

 x, t. 10; Berg & Sch., t. 33 b; Fl. Grseca, t. 3; Nees, Gen. El. 

 Germ., Gamop. 



Description. Usually a small, much-branched, evergreen tree, 

 from 10 30 feet high, having somewhat the appearance of a 

 white willow, but under favorable circumstances becoming much 

 larger ; branches numerous, slender, with opposite branchlets ; 

 bark greyish-white, nearly smooth. Leaves opposite, very shortly 

 stalked, lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, about 2 2J inches long, 

 rather variable in width, acute, tapering to the base, quite entire, 

 the margin slightly recurved, texture coriaceous, smooth on both 

 surfaces, the upper pale glaucous green, the lower silvery white, 

 completely covered with a dense layer of minute, flat, stellate 

 scales, which conceal the lateral veins. Flowers numerous, small, 

 in simple or branched racemes in the axils of the older leaves, 

 and shorter than them; inflorescence beset with stellate scales. 

 Calyx deeply cup-shaped, small, pale green, smooth, with 4 

 shallow teeth. Corolla deeply cut into 4 (very rarely 5) oval, 

 acute segments, much larger than the calyx, creamy white. 

 Stamens 2, inserted on the tube of the corolla, and alternating 

 with the segments; anthers very large, much longer than the 

 short thick filament, anther-cells innate, curved, bursting out- 

 wards. Ovary superior, small, fleshy, 2-celled, about the length 



* The classical name; in Greek iXaia. 



