14 



PLATE 237. 



Olba Woodiana, Knobl. (in Engl. Bot. Jalirbuch. xvii., (1893) 532). 

 Natural Order, Oleace.k. 



A tree 20 to 30 feet high with trunk 1 foot or more in diameter. Bark 

 smooth, ash coloured, glabrous ; twigs angular. Leaves opposite, decussate, 

 petiolate, exstipulate, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolato, margin entire, a little 

 thickened, undulate, slightly recurved, glabrous and shining above, dull beneath, 

 acute, acuminate, emarginate or obtuse at apex, tapering gradually to the petiole 

 at base, midvein conspicuous beneath, veinlets immersed ; l-|-3 inches long, -d-j 2 

 lines wide; coriaceous ; petiole reaching to -| inch long, a little thickened at base. 

 Inflorescence axillary, paniculate, flowers white. Panicles a little shorter than the 

 leaves, the ultimate divisions 2-4 flowered ; l)racts linear, deciduous, equalling 

 pedicels. Calyx minute, open, 4-fid, teeth acute, the calyx with pedicel -|-1 line 

 long. Buds globose. Corolla gamopetalous, 4-lobed, tube very short, lobes ovato- 

 oblong, spreading to 2J lines diameter. Stamens 2, inserted on opposite sides of 

 the corolla tube at throat, filaments short, anthers large, 2-celled, introrse, equal- 

 ling the filament in length, dorsifixed, the cells a little divergent at apex. Ovary 

 superior, 2-celled, cells 2-ovuled ; style short, stigma 2-lobed, lobes adherent. 

 Fruit an oblong leathery drupe, 3-5 lines long, 2-3 lines wide, 1 -seeded by 

 abortion. 



Habitat : Natal : In coast forests, Wood No. 7879. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered in wood near the sea, Novem- 

 ber, 1900, Wood No. 7945. 



This tree does not appear to be very common in Natal, and was described 

 from specimens gathered by the writer some years ago. I now learn from Mr. T. 

 R. Sim, F.L.S., that it is found in the coast forests of Pondoland, and also in 

 Transkei and Caffraria. It is not alluded to in Fourcadi's Report on Natal 

 Forests, and the natives appear to confuse it with 0. verrucosa, and give it the 

 same name "um-Quma " and they^only use the saplings for walking sticks. 



The genus Olea contains about 35 species, the best known of which is 0. 

 europxa, the common olive. In Natal we have now four species, and the wood of 

 at least three of them is used for wagon work. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, calyx ovary and stigma, corolla removed; 3, fruit; 4, cross 

 section of fruit ; all enlarged. 



