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1- seeded cells, the ovules in which are erect; style 1; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit either a 
double berry or a capsule separable in two. Seeds either with no albumen, or very little ; 
embryo straight ; radicle inferior. — Shrubs, having usually twining stems. Leaves opposite 
or alternate, mostly compound, ternate or pinnate, with an odd one; sometimes simple, 
the petiole almost always having an articulation. Flowers opposite, in corymbs. R. Br. 
Affinities. Formerly combined with Oleacese, from which they are dis- 
tinguished by Brown by their ovules being erect, their seed with no, or very 
little, albumen, by the aestivation of the corolla being imbricate, not valvate, 
and by the number of its divisions being five or more, and consequently not 
regularly a multiple of the stamens, instead of 4, which is a multiple of them. 
Ach. Richard (Ann. des Sc. 350.) endeavours to shew that these differences 
are insufficient. He states, that the ovules of Jasminaceae are originally pen- 
dulous, as in Oleaceae ; but that they subsequently become erect in consequence 
of the growth of the ovary, whose apex does not elongate, while its sides ex- 
tend considerably during the growth of the fruit. He says, upon the autho- 
rity of his father, that albumen does exist in Jasminum and Nyctanthes ; a fact 
which had been previously mentioned by Brown in defining the orders, but 
to which that distinguished botanist attached no importance, because only a 
small quantity was found by him to exist, while it is very abundant in Olea- 
ceae ; and he probably conceived, as I certainly do, that it is the difference of 
its quantity only which gives the albumen value as a mark of ordinal distinc- 
tion. I confess it does not appear to me that these remarks lessen the pro- 
priety of dividing Jasminaceae and Oleaceae, which are still known by abun- 
dantly sufficient characters. The affinity of Jasminaceae, otherwise, is Vv^ith 
those monopetalous orders, in which the number of stamina is different from 
that of the divisions of the corolla, as Labiatae, Scrophulariaceae, Verbenaceae, 
and the like, but particularly with the latter, which sometimes resemble them 
in their fruit, as Clerodendron. Brown stations them between Pedaliaceae 
and Oleaceae (Prodr .) ; De Candolle between Oleaceae and Strychneae (Theorie, 
ed. 2.). 
Geography. Chiefly inhabitants of tropical India, in all parts of which 
they abound. One Jasminum only is mentioned from South America, but 
there are at least 3 species of Bolivaria on that continent ; a few are natives 
of Africa and the adjoining islands ; New Holland contains several ; and, finally, 
2 extend into the southern climates of Europe. 
Properties. Not very different from Oleaceae in qualities, except that their 
oil is deliciously fragrant, and produced by the flowers, and not by the pericarp. 
The genuine essential oil of Jasmine of the shops is produced by Jasminum 
officinale and grandiflorum ; but a similar perfume is also procured from 
Jasminum Sambac. The leaves of Jasminum undulatum are slightly bitter. 
The bitter root of Jasminum angustifolium, ground small and mixed with pow- 
dered Acorus Calamus root, is considered in India as a valuable external ap- 
pHcation in cases of ringworm. Ainslie, 2. 52. In India Proper the tube of 
the corolla of Nyctanthes arbor tristis is used as an orange dye. Buchanan L. 
Tr. 13. 484. This plant, the Hursinghar of India, scents the gardens with its 
delicious perfumes only during the night, covering the ground in the morning 
with its short-lived flowers, which being collected like those of the Chumbelee 
(Jasminum grandiflorum) are strung on threads and worn as necklaces, or en- 
twined in the hair of the native women. Boyle, 269. 
GENERA. 
Jasminum, L. Nyctanthes, L. Bolivaria, Schlecht. 
Mogorium, Juss. Forsythia, Vahl. Menodora, Humb. Bonpl. 
