THE ORDER OLEACEÆ, OR JASMINEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON WHITE
JASMINE; THE YELLOW JASMINE; THE PRIVET; THE PHILLYREA; THE OLIVE;
THE FRINGE-TREE (_Chionanthus Virginica_); THE LILAC; THE COMMON ASH;
AND THE MANNA OR FLOWERING ASH.
This order was established by Jussieu, who divided it into two
tribes—Jasmineæ and Oleineæ, which are now very generally considered
as distinct orders. I have, however, thought it best to keep them
together, as I wish to make as few divisions as possible, to avoid
burthening the memory of my readers. All the genera in both tribes
agree in their flowers having only two stamens, an ovary with two
cells, and two seeds in each cell; and anthers with two cells, which
open with a long slit lengthways.
The species of the Ash have no corolla; but in all the genera where
there is one, the filaments of the stamens, which are very short, are
inserted in it; and it is generally funnel-shaped—as, for example, the
corolla of the Jasmine. Though the ovary is two-celled, and the cells
two-seeded, each flower very often only produces one perfect seed. The
leaves are generally pinnate.
TRIBE I.—JASMINEÆ.
[Illustration: FIG. 64.—FLOWER AND LEAF OF THE JASMINE.]
The genus Jasminum is the only one in this tribe which contains plants
common in British gardens; and of all the species contained in it, the
common white Jasmine (_J. officinale_) is perhaps the best known. The
flowers are produced in terminal clusters of four or six. The calyx is
tubular, with the limb cut into numerous narrow segments; (see _a_ in
_fig._ 64;) and the corolla is funnel-shaped, with a spreading limb
(_b_) divided into four or five pointed segments, which are folded
over each other, and somewhat twisted in the bud. The two stamens and
the style and stigma are enclosed in the corolla; and the fruit is
a berry divided into two cells, with one seed in each. There is no
albumen in the seeds. The leaves (_c_) are impari-pinnate, with the
single terminating leaflet larger than the others; and the petioles are
articulated. The common yellow Jasmine (_J. fruticans_) has flowers in
terminal clusters of three each, and its leaves are either ternate,
that is, with three leaflets, or simple. The branches are angular, and
the leaves quite smooth. The Nepaul yellow Jasmine, (_J. revolutum_)
has pinnate leaves of five or seven leaflets, which are smooth and
shining. The flowers are large and produced in compound corymbs. They
are a bright yellow, and very fragrant. The segments of the corolla are
obtuse, and the stigma club-shaped. There are above seventy species of
Jasmine, more than twenty of which have been introduced into Britain;
but they may be all easily recognised by their flowers, which bear a
strong family likeness to each other, and by the petioles of their
leaves, which are always articulated or jointed, that is, they will
break off the stem without tearing the bark. In other respects the
leaves vary exceedingly in this genus, some being simple and others
compound; and some being opposite, as in the common Jasmine, and others
alternate, as in _J. revolutum_.
TRIBE II.—OLEINEÆ.
This tribe contains numerous genera, among which the most common
are the Privet (_Ligustrum_), Phillyrea, the Olive (_Olea_),
the Fringe-tree (_Chionanthus_), the Lilac (_Syringa_), the Ash
(_Fraxinus_), and the Flowering or Manna Ash (_Ornus_). All these
genera agree in their general character with Jasminum, except as
regards their seeds, which abound in albumen.
In the common Privet (_Ligustrum vulgare_), the flowers, which are
produced in terminal compound racemes, have a very short calyx (see
_a_ in _fig._ 65), with a funnel-shaped corolla, having a wide tube in
proportion to the limb (_b_), which is very short and divided into four
segments. The anthers of the stamens and the stigma are seen in the
throat of the corolla. The berry is drupe-like, and generally contains
two one-seeded nuts. The leaves are simple and opposite. There are many
species of Privet, but the handsomest is _L. lucidum_, the leaves of
which are broad and shining, and the panicles of flowers spreading.
This tree yields a kind of waxy matter from its leaves and branches
when boiled, which is said to be used by the Chinese for candles.
[Illustration: FIG. 65.—FLOWER OF THE PRIVET.]
The Phillyrea is a handsome evergreen shrub, very useful in
shrubberies, from its forming a close compact bush of a deep green,
which makes a good background to Tree Roses, Almond-trees, _Magnolia
conspicua_, or any other flowering plant that would appear naked if
its flowers were not relieved by a background of green. The flowers of
the Phillyrea are small and of a greenish white. The fruit is a drupe,
containing a two-celled stone or nut, but with seldom more than one
perfect seed.
The Olive (_Olea sativa_) has small white flowers, resembling those of
the Privet, and a fleshy drupe like a Sloe, with a one or two celled
stone or nut. The oil is contained in the fleshy part of the fruit,
and the best oil is that which is obtained by crushing the pulp of the
fruit without breaking the stone or nut.
The Fringe-tree (_Chionanthus virginica_) differs from the preceding
genera in the length of the segments of the limb of its corolla, which
is cut into long slender shreds like fringe. In all other respects
except that the pulp of the fruit does not contain oil, this genus is
closely allied to the Olive.
The common Lilac (_Syringa vulgaris_) has its flowers disposed in a
kind of panicled raceme called a thyrsus. The calyx is very small, and
obscurely four-toothed (see _a_ in _fig._ 66), and the corolla (_b_)
is funnel-shaped, with a four-parted limb; the stigma is two-cleft, and
both the style and stamens are enclosed in the tube of the corolla.
The fruit is a dry two-celled and two-seeded capsule, which opens with
two valves, as shown at _c_, each valve having a narrow dissepiment
down the middle: the shape of the seed is shown at _d_. The leaves are
simple, opposite, and entire; and the branches are filled with pith,
which may easily be taken out and the branch left hollow like a pipe;
and hence the generic name of Syringa, from _Syrinx_ a pipe.
[Illustration: FIG. 66.—FLOWER AND SEED-PODS OF THE LILAC.]
The Ash (_Fraxinus excelsior_) differs so much from the other genera as
to seem scarcely to belong to the same order. The flowers are without
any petals, and frequently without any calyx; and some of them, which
are called the female flowers, have no stamens, while others, which
are called the males, have no pistil. Some of them, however, have both
stamens and pistil. The fruit is what is called a samara or key;
that is, it is furnished with a membrane-like wing so as to resemble
a dry leaf. It is two-celled, but very frequently only one-seeded.
The shape of the keys, and the manner in which they grow, is shown at
_a_ in _fig._ 67; and the leaves, at _b_. The leaves are opposite and
generally pinnate, with five or six pairs of leaflets; but there is one
species with simple leaves (_Fr. simplicifolia_). The Weeping Ash is
only an accidental variety of the common kind. The leaves of the Ash
come out late and fall early; but the tree may easily be recognised
when quite bare by the greyness of its bark and its black buds. It will
grow in any soil; but it is injurious to arable land, from its roots
spreading widely near the surface.
[Illustration: FIG. 67.—AMERICAN ASH (_Fraxinus americana_).]
The Manna, or flowering Ash, (_Ornus europæus_), differs widely from
the common Ash in its flowers, which are white, with a corolla divided
into four long narrow segments. The two stamens have long filaments,
with a small pistil (_c_), the stigma of which is notched. The flowers
are produced in great profusion in loose panicles, and they are very
ornamental, the samaras and leaves closely resembling those of the
common ash. There are several species of this genus, which were all
formerly included in the genus Fraxinus. The Manna is the sap of the
tree, and it is procured by wounding the bark.