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under the name of Fraxinus Ornus , in Linneus’ Sp. 
Plant. I fhall fay but very little concerning the botanic 
difcription of this tree, becaufe it has been given by * 
all the writers ; and I fhall only obferve, that this 
kind of fraxinus is very eafily diftinguifhed from the 
common fraxinus live fraxinus excclfior, by the leaves, 
which are round at the top , fubrotunda, integerrima. 
This tree very feldom grows to a confiderable height, 
nor does it acquire a confiderable bulk ; in general it is 
from i o to 20 feet high, the trunk is commonly of 
5 or 6 inches in diameter, and the branches are pretty 
numerous, and irregularly fpread : thefe di mentions, 
however, vary, if thefe trees are not crowded together, 
and have more liberty of growth. The Manna tree 
is common, not only in Calabria and Sicily, but alfo 
on the famous mountain Garganus, fituated near the 
old town of Sypontum upon the Adriatic j and is 
mentioned even by Horace as an inhabitant of that 
mountain, 
“ Aut Aquilonibus querceta Gargani laborant 
“ Aut foliis viduantur Orni. 
In all the woods near Naples the Manna tree is to be 
found very often j but, for want of cultivation, it never 
produces any manna, and is rather a fhrub than a 
tree. The manner, in which the manna is obtained 
from the Ornus, though very Ample, has been yet 
very much mifunderftood by all thofe who travelled 
in the kingdom of Naples ; and among other things 
they feem to agree, that the bed and pureft manna 
is obtained from the leaves of the tree ; but this, 
I believe, is an opinion taken from the dodlrine of the 
antients, and received as an inconteftable obfervation, 
without 
