572 



BOTANY 



membranaceous, is brightly coloured except in the genus Plumbago, 

 whose flowers have an herbaceous calyx. 



.Geographical Distribution. — The Plumhaginaceae are for the most part 

 native of the sea-coast ; they occur also in salt-steppes and deserts, e.g. Statice 

 (Sea-Lavender), Armeria (Thrift). 



Order 4. Contortae 



Flowers hypogynous, actinomorphic, with the formula Kn, Cn, 

 An, G2, in which n = 4 or 5 ; corolla frequently WITH contorted jESTI- 

 vation ; andrcecium adnate to the corolla. Leaves OPPOSITE, 



ENTIRE. 



The Contortae constitute a heterogeneous order of plants, which may 

 be most readily distinguished from other Sympetalae with actino- 



Fig. 552.— Oleaceae. Floral 

 diagram (Syringa). 



Fid. 553.— Flower of Frcu ■ 

 inus Omus. — Offi- 

 cinal. (After Wos- 



S1DLO.) 



Fig. 554. — Olea europaea. 1, Flowering branch ; 2, a flower 

 cut through longitudinally ; 3, transverse section of 

 ovary ; 4, fruit ; 5, the same with pericarp partly 

 removed.— Officinal. (After Wossielo.) 



morphic flowers by their opposite, entire leaves. The contorted 

 aestivation of the corolla, to which the name of the order has refer- 

 ence, although of frequent occurrence, is not a characteristic common 

 to all the members of the order, nor is it restricted to the Contortae. 



Family Oleaeeae. — Corolla with imbricate or valvate aestiva- 

 tion ; andrcecium of TWO stamens ; gyncecium SYNCARPOUS ; ovary 

 bilocular. Woody plants without latex; leaves exstipulate (Figs. 

 552-554). 



The plants comprised in this family are either shrubs or trees. The leaves are 



