THE OLIVE FAMILY. 



319 



The femily is represented in New South Wales by Car- 

 gillia australis and C. arhorea^ hard-wooded trees, the latter 

 attaining the height of nearly 100 feet ; the fruit is called the 

 grey plum, but is not very palatable. Different species of 

 Royena represent the family in South Africa. 



The Olive Family. 



(Oleace^.) 



Lofty, or middle-sized trees or shrubs, generally much 

 branched, the young branches flat or angular. Leaves 

 opposite, simple or winged. Flowers rarely unisexual. 

 Corolla 4-lobed or cleft ; sometimes absent. Stamens gene- 

 rally 2. Fruit a drupe as in olive ; a dry capsule as in 

 Syringa, or a winged samar as in Fraxinus. 



This family consists of nearly 150 species, all widely dis- 

 tributed over the temperate regions chiefly in the northern 

 hemisphere, where they are represented by Fraxinus (Ash), 

 Olea (Olive), Syringa (Lilac), Phillyreas and Ligustrwn 

 (Privet) ; the latter the only one of the family native of 

 this country ; and in the southern hemisphere by Notelea and 

 Olea, and in North America by the beautiful shrub Fringe- 

 flower {Chionantlius virginica). 



Olive {Olea europea). Although this receives the specific 

 name of europea, yet it is doubtful whether it was originally 

 native of Europe, but it is well known to be a native of 

 Western Asia. It is a small shrub-like branching evergreen 

 tree, somewhat spiny, having smooth or slightly hoary, stiff 

 leaves about the size and shape of tea-leaves, producing in 

 their axis tufts of small Avhite flowers, followed by an oblong 

 drupe or berry-Hke fruit. It is a very long-lived tree, 

 growing in the most barren, dry places, and is extensively 

 cultivated in all countries bordering on the Mediterranean. 

 Ohve oil is obtained by expression from the pulp of the fruit, 

 and is imported to this country from Italy and other ports 

 of the Mediterranean. Salad or Florence oil comes in flasks 

 enclosed in wicker-work. The unripe fruits are pickled. 



