CHAPTER VIII.
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.
