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Show The Hiflory of P L A N T S. 1 • Olea Joliis oblongis, angu.ftis, rigidis. 3tbe £lDli1le. The Olea, with oblong, narrow, rigid leaves. This is the common Olive-tree. It grows to be a large and t.all tree, and fpreads out it's branches every way. The bark is fin ooth, and of a greylfh colour, the wo.od tolerably firm and folid. The leaves are of an oblong, narrow figure, and Wey101 colour: they, in fome degree, refemble thofe of the commor\ long-~eaved wtllows ; they are even at the edges, of a thick firu Cture, anJ have no vJ1tble vems, except only the middle rib. They are of a darker colour above, and a paler on the under furface; they fiand on extremely fhort pedicles, and frequently in pairs, oppofite to one an~ther. T he flowers grow in clufiers, at the alre of the leaves; they fiand on iho~t pedtcles : they are fmall,. and of a greeni!h white.. Thefe, in many places, fall Without pro· clueing any fruit, but, where the tree thnves well, they are fucceeded by the common Olives. The Olive-tree is not a native of England, but it is frequent in many parts of Eu-rope, in moderate climates. It varies extremely in the fize, fhape, and col~u~ of it's fruit, in confequence of the cultUI:e; and Tournefort has recount~d thefe van~t.tes as .fo many difiinet fpecies, C. Bauhme, and ~ofi of ~he other wnters, c~U thts fpe~Jes Olea fativa. The Olea!l:er, or Olea Sylve!l:ns, defcnbed by many as a different fpec1es, is the fame in a wild or uncultivated fiate. The really difl:inet fpecies of the Olive are, r. The Afr ican. Olea, with box-like leaves, and a white, fcabrous bark. 2. The African Olea, with a long and broad leaf, of a deep fhining green above, and a paler green underneath. 3· T he African Olea, with a long, narrow, pale-green leaf, and round, purple fruit. 4· The wild, Spani!h Olive, with rigid leaves, hoary underneath, and an obtufely-mucronated fru it. We owe to the com~on Olea, firfi defcribed, the pickled Olives eaten at our tables, and the oil we eat with fallads, and ufe on fo many, and fo important, occafions, both in medicine and mechanics. C H I 0 N A N T H U S. T HE calyx of the Chionanthus is a perianthium, confifiing of one leaf, divided into four fegments at the edge, ereCt, acuminated, and permanent. The corolla confifis of a fingle petal, and is divided into four parts. The tube is very fhort, no longer than the. cup, and is patulous. The limb is divided into four extremely long .fegments, which are ereCt, acute, of a linear figure, and fomewhat uneven. The fiamma arc two extremely a1ort filaments, of a fub ulated figure, and are inferted into the tube. T he antherre. are cordated and erect. The germen of lhe piflil is of an oval fi~ure. The fi~le _1s fimple, and. of the length of the cup. The fiigma is obtufe and tnfid.. ~he f~mt IS a round, umlocular berry, contai ning a fin gle, fir iated oilicle. T he fiamma m tl11S genu~ are often three, in!l:ead of two. The genus itfelf is allied to the nyCl:anthes,. the fynn~a, the olea, ligufirum, phylly rca, and jafmine, but, moft of all, to the fraxmus corol!Jfera. There is but one known fpecies of it. C H I 0 N A N T H U S. The root is very ramofe, and brachiated. The trunk is covered with a brown bark, cracked, and furrowed. The leave~ are broad and roundia1 ; the upper fide of a deep gr~en, th~ under fide hoary and wh1te: . T he flowers are white, and deeply laciniatecl. !t ~s a ~attve of Ceylon; but we have It m fome of our gardens. Plukenct has figured 1t m hts Almagefium, T . 2 4 1. f. 4· SYRIN G A. T HE ca.ly.x of.the Syringa is a fmall, tubulated perianthium, confilling of a fingle leaf, divtded mto four fhort fegments at the mouth, and ere&:. The corolla confift. s of a fingle peta~; the tube is cylindric, and very long : the limb is divided into four fegments, of a hnear figure, hollow, and obtufely-pointed. The fiamina are two very fhort filaments : .t~e ~ntherre are fmall, and hid within the tube of the flower. T~e germen ?f t~~ p1~1l ts oblo~g; the fiyle is capillary, and of the length of the !l:amma: the fbgma IS b1fid and th1ck. The fru it is an oblbng, cotnprefied, acuminated capfule, formed of ~wo valves, and conta ining two cells. The feeds are fingle oblong, and compreffed, pomted at each end and furnifhed w·th b ' · This genus comprehends the lilac 'of Tournefort. I a mem ranaceous margtn. z. S)'ringa The H ijtory of P L A N T s. 1 .. Syringa f oliis ovato-cordatis. The Syringa with ovato-cordated leaves.' <!OtttlltOU 1£1lac. This is a large fhrub. It rifes to eight or ten feet high, and fends out a great number of branches. It's trunk is of two or three inches in diameter, and is covered with a bark, of a pale brown. The leaves grow two at a joint, and are large, oblong, and of an ovated figure, fomewhat cm·dated at the bafe. They fiand on moderately long pedicles, and are even at the edges, and of a pale colour, both on the upper and under fides. The flowers are fmall, _but they grow in great cluil:ers, and are of a very fweet fmell : they are naturally b1mfh, but frequently of a pale rofe red, or quite white. This fpecies is common in our gardens : it is a native of Egypt and the Eaft Indies, yet it perfeCtly well bears the cold of our climate. C. Bauhine calls it, Syringa ccerulea; Tournefort, Lilac; Renealm, Ca1obotr.ichys. Tourncfort very improperly makes the white-flowered one a diftinet fpecies, under the name of Lilac flore albo. 2 . Syringa foliis lanceolatis integris laciniatflque. l0ttfiatt The Syringa with undivided, lanceolated, and laciniated leaves. JLOa.c. This is a finall, but beautiful fhrub. It grow~ to four or five feet high : it's wood is white, and the large branches have alfo a white pith in them. The bark is of a dark brown, or elfe reddiih, and is ufually fpotted with .innumerable punetules, of a duiky yellow. The leaves, which grow on the lower part of the branches, are laciniated in [t;ch a manner as to refemble, in fome degree, the ~eaves of the common jafmine; thofe higher up are fingle, undivided, and of a lanceolated figu re, and much refemble thofe of the common privet. The fl0wer is fmall, and ufually of a pale rofe colou r, or fle01 colour, and of an extremely fweet fmell. It fometimes flowers twice in a year, but the latter flowers, with us, are lefs beautiful and lefs fi·agrant than the former. T his fpecies is a native of Perfia, but it is frequent in our gardens. It is very fingular that, though the flower of this ihrub is fo perfeCtly fimilar to that of the common Lilac, yet authors have referred it to very different genera. C. Bauhine calls .it, Li& ufl:rum foliis laciniatis; Parkinfon, Jafminum Perficum. Cornutus ~ails it, Agem hlag Perfarum ; and Gerard and J. Bauhine, Syringa crerulea. 3· Syringa foliis lanceolatis integris. The Syringa, rwith undvided leaves. This rifes to a ihrub of fix or feven feet high. It's bark is of a dufky brown colour, and very fmooth : it's leaves are oblong and narrow, broadefi at the middle, narrow at the bafe, and pointed at the extremity; they are of a dufky green colour on the upper fide, and fomewhat paler underneath. The flowers fbnd in clufi:ers, and gre~tly refemble thofe of the common Lilac ; they are ufually of a pale reci, fometimes b.lu!a1. It greatly ~efe~bles the former fpecies, in all refpeets, but in wanting thofe IaCimated leaves which 1t has ; ' poilibly they may be but varieties one of another though there requires further obfervation to determine that with certainty. , Thefe are all t~e known ~pecies of_ Syr.inga. Th~ fhrub, comm.only called Syringa by our gardeners, IS not of this clafs; It will be defcnbed hereafter m it's place, under the name of Philadelphus. C I R C 1E A. T H E calyx of the Circa!a is a perianthium, compofed of two leaves, of an ovated figu re, concave, bent backward and deciduous. The corolla con1ifis of two petals ; they are turbinated and cordated, equal in fize, patent, and fhorter than the leaves of the cup. The fl:amina are two capillary filaments; they fiand erect, anfl arc of t~e length of the cup: the antherre are roundia1. The gcrmen of the pifiil .is of a turbmated figure, and :Hands under the receptacle. The fiyle is capillary, and of tl~e length of the fiamina; the fiigma is obtufe, and emarginated. The fruit is a turbmated, oval capfule; it is hairy, compofed of two valves, and conta ins two cells : it ,opens from the bafe to the apex. The fe eds are placed one in each cell, and are oblong, and narroweft at the bafe. Circcca. |