II OLEACE^ 283 



as characteristic of the order, is 2-celled with 2 ovules in 

 each chamber. During development of the fruit, how- 

 ever, three ovules become atrophied, and the samara is 

 one-seeded. The septum between the ovary chambers 

 becomes separated, and bears as on a long funicle the 

 three atrophied ovules and the perfect seed (Fig. 182). 



The bud-scales are modified leaf-stalks, and gener- 

 ally show more or less rudimentary leaflets at the tip. 

 The outer scales are thick, and rather furry on the 

 inner side. The second pair are furry on the outer side, 

 and especially on the edges. The third pair still more 

 so. The outer scales are not dead, like those of so 

 many trees, but increase more or less in size. They 

 are olive green, so dark as to be almost black. Tennyson, 

 in The Gardener' s Daughter, describes Juliet's hair 

 as — 



More black than ash-buds in the front of March. 



The dark colour is due to a layer of black, more or less 

 angular bodies, which are flattened hairs, containing a 

 dark resinous secretion, and do not increase in size or 

 number. As the scale gro-ws they are, therefore, carried 

 further and further apart, and occupying a smaller 

 relative portion of the surface, the general colour 

 becomes lighter and greener. 



LiGTJSTRUM (Privet) 



Flowers homogamous, with concealed honey, in 

 compact panicles. 



L. vulgare. — The honey is at the base of the tube, 

 which is about 3 mm. in length. The corolla has 

 generally 4, but sometimes 5 lobes. The stamens 

 are generally 2, but sometimes 3. The anthers open 

 widely ; their position also varies. Sometimes they are 

 far apart, so that an insect would touch the stigma on 

 one side and an anther on the other ; sometimes they 

 incline over the stigma, so that the flower would 

 fertilise itself The flowers are visited by various 

 butterflies, bees, flies, and beetles. As in Ash, the 



