574 



BOTANY 



economic plant of the family is the Olive-tree, Olea europaea (Fig. 554), often 

 cultivated in Southern Europe. The oil is extracted from the pulp of the ripe 

 fruit, and also, although to a less extent, from the seeds. The wood (Olive-wood) 

 is used for a variety of purposes. 



Officinal. — Oleum Olivae (vide supra) ; Manna, the dried sap of the Manna- 

 Ash, Fraxinus Ornus (Mediterranean). 



Family Loganiaceae. — Flowers always with a synpetalous corolla and an 

 haplostemonous androecium, in other respects essentially the same as those of 

 the Oleaceae. Tropical woody plants without latex, rarely herbs with stipules. 



Pig. 558. — Nerium Oleander (reduced). — Poisoxous. 



Poisonous. — Cubake, used by the South American Indians for poisoning arrows 

 and also as a Malayan arrow poison, is prepared from the bark of several species of 

 Strychnos. The seeds of Strychnos nux vomica {vide infra) are extremely poisonous. 



Officinal. — Strychnos nux vomica, an East Indian tree whose fruit resembles 

 an orange, but has a hard rind and usually only one seed, yields Semen Stkychni 

 or Nux vomica. 



Family Gentianaeeae. — Corolla with contorted estivation ; 

 androecium haplostemonous ; gyncecium syncarpous ; ovary usually 

 unilocular, with parietal placentae. Herbs without latex, wholly 

 restricted to the Temperate Zone (Figs. 555, 556). 



