XY. THR OLIVE FAMILY. 329 
CHAPTER IV. 
MONOPETALOUS PLANTS. 
FAMILY XV. THE OLIVE FAMILY. OLEA‘CER. 
Tue Olive, the Lilac, the Ash and the Privet, with some other 
less known but hardly less dissimilar shrubs and trees, form 
this family. It is apparently made up of discordant mate- 
rials, but their analogy in nature is proved, not only by their 
distinctive characters, but by the fact, that all the species are 
capable of being successfully grafted on each other. The Lilac 
will graft upon the Ash and the Fringe tree, and the Olive will 
take on the Philly’rea and even on the Ash itself—(D C., Prop. 
Med., 206.) The essential character is as follows. 
The plants belonging to it are trees or shrubs with opposite 
branches, four-cornered or compressed branchlets, opposite, en- 
tire, simple or pinnate leaves, without stipules. The flowers, in 
terminal or axillary racemes or panicles, perfect, or sometimes 
wanting stamens or pistil: with a persistent calyx of four parts 
or divisions: a corolla of four petals, sometimes distinct, some- 
times united, rarely altogether wanting; two stamens, (some- 
times more,) and a two-celled ovary with a very short style. 
The fruit is various; frequently it is a one-celled, one-seeded 
drupe, as in the olive; sometimes a capsule with two valves; 
sometimes a winged capsule or key, as in the ash. The plants 
of this family, chiefly natives of temperate climates, present 
various Claims to the consideration of man; some of them pro- 
duce durable and elastic wood; others, fruits full of a valuable 
oil, or important as articles of food; some of them, fragrant and 
showy flowers; others, medicinal juices. 
The bark and leaves of the greater part are bitter and astrin- 
gent; the bark of the ash, especially, possesses these properties 
to such a degree, that it has been successfully employed as a 
substitute for Peruvian bark in the treatment of fever. From 
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