the Oleaceae family
by Mattias von Schantz
The Oleaceae comprise about 600 species in 24 extant genera (one extinct),
occurring on all continents. It is also known as the Olive family.
Including Bolivariaceae , Forstiereae (Forstieraceae), Fraxineae (Fraxinaceae),
Iasmineae (Iasminaceae), Jasmineae (Jasminaceae), Lilacaceae, Nyctantheae
(Nyctanthaceae), Syringaceae.
Taxonomy.
Kingdom: Plantae; Division: Magnoliophyta; Class: Magnoliophyta; Subclass:
Asteridae; Family: Oleaceae
Description
Habit. Trees and shrubs, or lianas (sometimes).
Leaves deciduous (often), or evergreen; opposite (nearly always)
Leaf anatomy. Complex hairs present;
usually peltate.
Inflorescence. Flowers solitary, or aggregated
in ‘inflorescences’.
Fruit fleshy, or non-fleshy; dehiscent, or
indehiscent, or a schizocarp
There are no valuable distinctive marks/
characteristics for the diagnose that is valid to
all of these plants, but some that are valid to
many. These are: Most of the species have
opposite leaf and the ovary is superior
Geography.
Temperate to tropical. Cosmopolitan, save in
frigid regions.
Olea europea (picture fr ..euronet..see bibliogr)
Some representative generas
Some of the most known, and common of this family’s genera is the Jasminum
and the Franxinus.
Jasminum spp.
Distribution: Africa, Asia, Australia, South Pacific Islands,
one species in the Mediterranean region
Number of species: over 200
Description (from Flora of China): Trees or shrubs,
evergreen or deciduous.
Branchlets terete or angular and grooved. Leaves opposite or
alternate, rarely whorled, simple, 3-foliolate, or odd-pinnate;
petiole usually articulated.
Flowers bisexual.
Calyx 4-16-lobed.
Corolla white or yellow, rarely red or purple, lobes 4-16.
Stamens 2. Fruit; a berry.
Jasminum chrysantum
(picture from sight; biodiversity, se bibliogr.)
Franxinus spp.
The Franxinus, or the Ashes, generas
comprises about 50 species which
occur in temperate and subtropical
parts of the northern hemispere. There
are both anemophilous (wind
pollinated) and entomophilous (insect
pollinated) species in this genus.
Habitat: Woods, roadsides, fields
Description: Tree with opposite
pinnate leaves with 5-9 leaflets,
narrow, winged fruits.
Franxinus excelsior (picture from ..europea..see bibliogr)
Uses and other
The Ashes is used as a wash to relieve itching caused by external parasites, in people and
animals. Washed on sores, stings, and bites of spiders and insects. In large quantities ,
drunk to induce vomiting and as a strong laxative. The bark on the Ash is peeled upward
for greater emetic effect, downward for laxative effect (or so the saying goes). In smaller
doses, drunk as a tonic after childbirth to return tone to the uterus
Except for these common known genera’s, the Oleaceae family contains the Olive trees.
Olive oil is well known as a usable product and is used all over the world. Therefore it is
an important merchandise and source of food. You can of course also eat it (the olive )
cooked and as an ingredience in all sorts of different dishes. The Olive tree is an old,
holy, image of many religious purposes.
Quotations.
O let me twine
Mine arms about that body, where against
My grainèd ash a thousand times hath broke
(‘Corialanus’, iv., 5)
If you will know my house,
’Tis at the tuft of olives here hard by
(‘As You Like It’, iii., 5 - in England, poet’s licence?)
The Boraginaceae family.
By Mattias von Schantz
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Plantae; Division: Magnoliophyta; Class: Magnoliopsida; Subclass:
Asteridae; Family: Boraginaceae
Description
Habit and leaf form. Trees,
shrubs, herbs, or lianas (a few);
without essential oils. Annual to
perennial; with a basal
aggregation of leaves, or with
neither basal nor terminal
aggregations of leaves. Self
supporting (usually), or
climbing. Leaves minute to
medium-sized; alternate, or
alternate and opposite; flat;
petiolate to sessile. Lamina
entire; usually narrow, linear to
lanceolate. Leaves exstipulate.
Symphytum officinalie (picture fr
sight..europa..see bibliogr.)
Leaf anatomy. Hairs usually present (the herbs especially characterized by hispid
leaves).
Inflorescence. Flowers aggregated in ‘inflorescences’ (nearly always), or solitary.
Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla. Often, with a corona of scales from the throat
protecting the nectar.
Within most species, the corolla is blue when it blossoms.
In the stage of budding, though, it changes between red
and violet
Gynoecium 2 carpelled (usually), or 4–5 carpelled. The
pistil 2 celled, or 4 celled, or 8–10. Stigmas 1–2; when
simpl.
Fruit fleshy, or non-fleshy; when dry, dehiscent, or
indehiscent, or a schizocarp.
Borago officinialis (picture fr sight...euronet..see bibliogr)
Geography.
Cape, Australian, and Antarctic. Temperate to tropical. Cosmopolitan, but fewer in cool
temperate and tropical regions, and with a strong Mediterranean concentration.
A representative
One example of the family is the Cynoglossum grande, the
Hound's Tongue
Flowers: 5 petals, blue with a inner circle of white 'teeth', in
loose clusters at top of stem. Blooms: February – April.
Leaves: Dark green and hairy, 4 - 6 inches long, broadly
oval with a petioled (stemmed) base - mostly at base and
lower part of plant.
Picture: Cynoglossum grande (picture from sight:..plants..:see
bibl.)
Fruit/Seeds: Small berry-like seed clusters, green ripening
to red/purple. Location: Shady moist trail in North
America.
Hound's Tongue is related to the widely-spread garden escapee Forget-Me-Not
(Myosotis sylvaticia). Forget-Me-Not is lower growing, has a coiled flower raceme, and
round-tipped leaves
Economic uses
Ornamentals, pot herbs, dyes for wood, medicines, wines and cosmetics, and some
important honey plants.
Quotations
Then the blossoms blue to the bank he threw
Ere he sank in the eddying tide;
And ‘Lady, I’m gone, thine own knight true,
Forget me not’, he cried
(Bishop Mant, quoted by Ann Pratt, ‘Wild Flowers’
(1857) - Myosotis palustris)
Borage and Hellebore fill two scenes,
Sovereign plants to purge the veins
Of melancholy, and clear the heart
Borago officinialis
Of those black fumes which make it smart
(Burton, quoted by Ann Pratt, ‘Wild Flowers’ (1857) - Borago officinalis)
(picture from sight..biodiversity.. see bibliogr)
Bibliography
Ivar Elverts: Vor Flora
Nordsteds Natur 1998
Wastson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ‘The Families of Flowering Plants:
Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.’ Version: 19th
August 1999. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/. Dallwitz (1980), Dallwitz, Paine and
Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1995 onwards, 1998), and Watson and Dallwitz (1991)
http://www.euronetnl/users/mbleeker/folis/bsmain-e.html
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/Boragina.htm
http://www.systbot.gu.se/staff/evawal/fraxlinks.html