OEDEK XCI. OLEACE^ — ^OLIVE-TEIBE. 



189 



inflated. Seeds flat, furnished with a long tuft of silty hairs. 

 Per. 



* Leaves opposite. 



1. A. Corrn\ti. Common Milkweed. 



Stom erect, simple, rarely branching; leaves nearly oval, tapering at both 

 extremities, petiolate, smooth above, pubescent beneath ; flowers in large, dense, 

 simple, globose nmbels, axillary and terminal, odorous; calyx-segments lanceo; 

 late; petals reflexed, dull purple; crown nearly of the same color, obtuse, bi- 

 dentate; horn short and stout; pods mostly acaminate, covered with soft, 

 spine-like processes, A very common and coarse weed, 8—5 ft. high, in rich 

 soils and road-sides. Every part of the plant in this, and the whole genus, is 

 full of a white, sticky milk, which, however, is the most abundant in this spe- 

 cie«. Jult/. 



2. A. phytolaccoides. FoTce-leaved Milkweed. 



Mostly smooth; stem erect, tall, simple; leaves broad-ovate; upper ones 

 often oval-lanceolate; all tapering at both ends, short-petiolate, entire, paler 

 and smooth, or slightly downy beneath ; umbels on terminal and lateral pedun- 

 cles, nearly equalling the leaves ; pedicels numerous, long, slender, loose, nod- 

 ding, nearly as long as the peduncle ; segments of the reflexed corolla greenish- 

 white ; hoods of the crown white or flesh-colored, truncate, 2-toothcd at sum- 

 mit A handsome species, with largo leaves and flowers, common in moist 

 thickets. Stem 8—5 ft. high. June. 



3. A. obtusifolia. Blunt-leaved Milkweed. 



Smooth and somewhat glaucous ; stem erect, simple, terminating in 1, rarely 

 2, long-ped uncled umbels; leaves oval or oblong-ovate, obtuse, mucronate, ses- 

 sile, somewhat clasping find cordate at base, very undulate on the margin; 

 umbel large, many-flowered, smooth ; pedicels long and slender ; flowers large ; 

 corolla greenish-purple ; hoods of the crown large, shorter and paler than the 

 slender horn. A common species, in sandy woods and soils, distinguished by 

 its waved leaves and long-peduncled, terminal, globose umbels. Stem 2—8 ft. 

 high. July. 



4. A. incarnata. Swamip Milkweed. 



Nearly smooth ; stem erect, branching above, marked with 2 pubescent 

 lines, as also the branches and peduncles ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute or 

 acuminate, obtuse at base, with distinct petioles; umbels numerous, many- 

 flowered, erect, often opposite ; peduncles half as long as the leaves ; segments 

 of the corolla reddish-purple ; hoods of the crown flesh-color, entire, about as 

 long as the subulate, incurved horns. A common species, 2—3 ft. high, in wet 

 grounds. It occurs with broader leaves, more or less pubescent, which is the 

 var. piilchra-. July— Aug. 



* * Leaves mostly not opposite. 



5. A. quadrifolia. Four-leaved Milkweed. 



Smooth ; stem erect, slender, simple ; leaves ovate, sometimes ovate-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, petiolate, smooth and thin, mostly in whorls of 4 ; others oppo- 

 site; umbels few, loose, on long, axillary or terminal peduncles ; pedicels fili- 

 form, marked with a pubescent line ; segments of the corolla white, tinged 

 with pink ; hoods of the crown white, 2-toothed ; horn stout and thick. A very 

 delicate and elegant species, 1—2 ft high, not uncommon In dry woods. July. 



6. A. verticillata. Whorled Milkweed. 



Nearly smooth ; stem erect or decumbent at base, branching above, marked 

 with lines of minute hairs, leafy ; leaves narrow-linear, revolute on the margin, 

 paler beneath, in numerous whorls of 5 or 6; umbels few, small, arising from 

 the upper whorls, on peduncles as long as the leaves; segments of the corolla 

 ovate, greenish-white ; hoods of the crown white, hardly half as long as the 

 arching horns; iwds very smooth. An elegant species,! — 2 ft high, marked 

 by its abundant, narrow leaves in numerous whorls. Common on dry hills in 

 some districts, especially Southern N. Eng. July — Sep. 



7. A. tuber6sa. Butterfly-weed. 



stems erect, ascending, clustered, hairy, leafy, with divaricate branches at 

 top ; leaves scattered, oblong-lanceolate ranging to almost linear, entire, sessile, 

 or the lower ones shortly-petioled, hairy, obtuse %t base ; umbels numerous, on 

 short peduncles, forming a large, terminal, showy corymb ; flowers numerous, 

 bright orange; segments of the corolla greenish-yellow; hoods of the crown 

 narrow-oblong, bright orange; horns slender, nearly erect ; pods clothed with 

 minute down. A very splendid species, not uncommon in dry, sandy soils. 

 The thick, fleshy root sends up a cluster of erect stems, which are often stained 

 with purple, 2 ft high. July—Sept. 



Order XCI. Oledceae. — Olive-tribe, 



SYNOPSIS OF THE GENEEA. 



* FloTivers alirays perfect and. complete* 



1. SyrSnga. Calyx minute, with 4 erect teeth. Corolla salver-form, with a 

 long tube. 



2. LiGusTRUM. Calyx tubular, with 4 minute teeth. Corolla funnel-form, 

 with a short tube. 



8. CiiiONANTuus. Corolla consisting of 4 very long, linear, scarcely united 

 petals. 



** Flowers pol^^jLTamous or dioecious. 



4. Fraxinus. Petals mostly none. Trees with pinnate leaves. Fruit a 

 samara. 



1. SYKfNGA. 

 Calyx small, ^with 4 erect lobes. Corolla salver-form ; tube 

 much longer than the calyx-limb, 4-cleft, with obtuse, spreading 

 segments. Stamens short, included in the tube. Capsule 2- 

 celled, 2-valved. Shrubs. 



1. S. vulgaris. Lilac. 



Leaves cordate, entire, smooth, green on both sides; flowers light purple, 

 large, fragrant, in dense thyrses; corolla-limb somewhat concave. Avery or- 

 namental shrub, universally cultivated. Stem 5 — 8 ft higli, very bushy. There 

 are varieties with bluish-purple and white flowers. April — May. 



2. S. Persica. Persian Lilac. 



Leaves smooth, lanceolate or pinnatifld, green on both sides ; flowers of a 

 lighter purple, and in smaller, looser thyrses than those of the last, fragrant ; 

 limb of the corolla flat A smaller and more delicate sljrub than the last, fre- 

 quent in cultivation, but not so common as S. vulgaris. Stem 8 — 6 ft. high. 

 April— May. 



% LIGT^STRUM. 

 Calyx tubular, short, deciduous, with 4 minute teeth. Corolla 

 funnel-form, 4-lobed ; tube short ; lobes spreading, ovate, obtuse. 

 Stamens inserted on the corolla-tube, included. Stigma 2-cleft. 

 Berry 2-celled, 2 — i-seedcd. 



1. L. vulgare. Prim. 



Shrubby; leaves oblong-lanceolate, varying to obovate, acute, or obtuse 

 entire, smooth, dark green, on short petioles; flowers small, white, in dense, 

 terminal, thyrsoid panicles; anthers large, exsert; berries black, bitter. A 

 smooth shrub, 4 — 6 ft high, with dark green leaves, which are mostly persist- 

 ent till late in the winter. It is frequently used for hedges in the vicinity of 

 cities, where It has become naturalized in thickets and road sides. May — Jv/ne. 



8. CHIONANTIIITS. 

 Calyx very small, persistent, 4-parted. Corolla in 4 very 

 long and linear divisions, scarcely united at base. Stamens very 

 short, inserted at the base of the corolla. Style very short. 

 Drupe fleshy, 1-celled, 1-seeded. Trees. 



1. C. Yirginica. Fringe-tree. 



Leaves oval-oblong or obovate-lanceolate, smooth or somewhat downy, 

 petiolate, entire ; flowers snow-white, on long pedicels, in terminal and axillary 

 racemes, forming rather dense, drooping panicles; calyx smooth ; segments of 

 the corolla linear, acute, i' — J' long; drupes purple, covered with abloom. A 

 large shrub, or small tree, very ornamental in cultivation. Its snow-white 

 flowers are arranged in gracefully drooping panicles. May — June. 



4. FElXINUS. 

 Flowers polygamous or dioecious, often perfect. Staminate 

 flowers — calyx small, 4-cleft, or "wanting; petals 4, commonly 

 ■wanting in the K American species ; stamens usually 2. Pistil- 

 late flowers — calyx and corolla as in the staminate ; style single ; 

 stigma 2-cleft. Fruit a 1 — 2-celled samara, flattened, winged at 

 apex, mostly 1-seeded by abortion. Zeaves pinnate. Trees. 



1. F. Americana. Whize Ash. 



Leaflets T — 9, petiolate, oblong or oblong-ovate, acuminate, entire or ob- 

 scurely toothed, glaucous beneath, mostly smooth, except on the veins; calyx 

 present; corolla wanting; fertile flowers in loose panicles; the barren in dense, 

 contracted ones ; samara obtuse, narrow, spatulate, with a long, tapering base. 

 A large and noble forest-tree of symmetrical growth. The trunk is covered 

 with gray, more or less furrowed bark, while the branchlets are smooth, with a 

 greenish-gray bark. Common every where in rich woods. April — May. 



