OLIVE. 



[82] 



Family: JASMNACEAE. [Translator's note: now OLEACEAE]. 

 Reproductive system: DIANDRY, MONOGYNY. 



The common olive tree, Olea europcea, Linn, is a large tree in the canton of 

 Grasse in Provence, in Italy and in Africa. But in the vicinity of Ate, Avignon, etc., it's 

 not very tall. When the tree is young the bark on the trunk is smooth; it roughens with 

 age. The leaves are opposite, persistent, firm, dark green above, white underneath, 

 lanceolate and entire. The flowers are set in small clusters in the axils of the leaves and 

 are white in color. The calyx has four teeth. The corolla is monopetalous with a very 

 short tube. The blade of the petal has four oval sections. There are two stamens that insert 

 into the corolla. The ovary is superior. It turns into a drupe whose pit has two 

 compartments and two seeds, but most often it's unilocular through failure of one to 

 develop. 



More than fifteen varieties of olive trees are cultivated in the southern provinces. 

 I've illustrated the two that are the most noteworthy and widely cultivated: one with blunt 

 leaves and the other with pointed leaves. 



FLOWERS: in May. 



RANGE: Tin's tree was brought to Provence by the Phocians [Translator's note: 

 inhabitants of a region in the central part of ancient Greece] about six hundred years 

 before the Christian era. It has propagated there by itself for a long time and has produced 

 wild stocks for grafting good varieties. 



NOMENCLATURE. German, der oelbaum. Dutch, olytboom. English, the olive 

 tree. Russian, oliva, maslina. Greek, elaia. Arabic, sejtun. Hebrew, sajt. 



USES. Everyone is familiar with the everyday uses for olive oil. It's administered 

 medicinally in doses from a quarter to one ounce in cough medicines for chest congestion 

 and for acute attacks of catarrh. In large doses it's good for treating toxic reactions 



