COROLLIFLOR^ , 239 



allied to Primulacece, which are, however, herbs with 

 dry fruits and never trees with succulent fruits. 



Nat. Order 12. Plumbaginacece. — Herbs with regular 

 5-merous flowers, stamens superposed to the corolla- 

 lobes, ovary i -celled, superior, with 5 free styles. 

 The plants of this order mostly grow in salt marshes. 

 Chita {Plumbago zeylanica) and Plumbago rosea (lal- 

 chita), shrubs well known for their poisonous roots. 



Nat. Order 13. Oleacece. — Trees or shrubs, erect 

 or climbing. Leaves usually opposite, simple or 

 pinnate. Flowers regular, sometimes polygamous 

 or dioecious, usually in di- or trichotomous cymes. 

 Sepals inferior, connate, usually truncate or 4-lobed. 

 Petals usually 4 to 6 in a gamopetalous corolla. 

 Stamens usually 2, epipetalous. Carpels connate in 

 a superior 2-celled ovary. Fruit a loculicidal capsule 

 or a berry or a drupe. Seeds usually albuminous.' 



The order is distributed in temperate and tropical 

 regions. Common plants: bela or bael-phul or 

 mallika {fasmmum, Sam,bac), juin {Jasm,mum auri- 

 culatum), kund {Jasm^inum pubescens), sheuli or shep- 

 halika {Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis), are all commonly- 

 cultivated garden plants. They all bear characteristic 

 moth-flowers, that is, flowers possessing white colour, 

 and strong aromatic odour specially noticeable towards 

 evening and wholly or partially wanting during the 

 day, and opening after dark. In fact, the whole 

 family is characterized by moth-flowers. Ligustrum 

 robustum is a tree of East Bengal and Assam with 

 conspicuous lenticels in the branches. 



Nat. Order 14. Apocynacece. — Herbs or shrubs, 

 twining or erect, often with milky juice. Leaves 

 opposite or whorled, entire. Flowers regular, herma- 

 phrodite. Sepals usually 5, connate in an inferior 

 calyx, lobes imbricate. Petals usually 5, rotate or 



