OLEACEAE
Morphological description
Woody. Sometimes climbers (Myxopyrum); dried plant with pale stem and dark petioles (Chionanthus)
Leaves
Leaves decussate, penninerved, exstipulate. Usually simple, entire. Sometimes leaves with longitudinal veins, leaves glandular below (Myxopyrum); leaves pinnate (Fraxinus, Jasminum p.p., Schrebera p.p.).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flower hermaphroditic, actinomorphic, sympetalous, usually 4-merous; stamens 2; ovary superior, 2-celled, 1 or 2 ovules per cell.
Fruit
Fruit sometimes a deeply 2-lobed berry (Jasminum) or fruit winged (Fraxinus).
Seed
Seed.
Different from: Apocynaceae: milky sap, stamens 5. — Loganiaceae: stipules or interpetiolar ridge, stamens 4 or 5. — Rubiaceae: stipulate, ovary inferior, stamens more than 2.
Distribution: The family world-wide. In Malesia 8 genera, incl.: - Chionanthus (syn. Linociera, pantropical), trees or shrubs, lowland and lower montane rain forest; - Jasminum (widespread), climbers or shrubs, lowland and montane forest, some also monsoon forest and secondary vegetation; - Myxopyrum (Indo-Malesia), climbers, lowland rain forest.
Notes: Fragrant flowers: Jasminum. — Ornamentals: Jasminum* (p.p.), Nyctanthes*.
Literature: L C.A. Backer & R.C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Fl. Java 2 (1965) 212-218. — Prof. R. Kiew (SING) is revising the family for Flora Malesiana.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Oleaceae 17, 58, 73 - Chionanthus 17, 59, 60, 73, 99; C. acuminatus 46; C. pluriflorus 95 - Fraxinus 17, 42, 49, 98 - Jasminum 4, 5, 6, 31, 32, 38, 44, 48, 49, 61, 64, 93 - Ligustrum 31 - Myxopyrum 5, 6, 31, 46, 64 - Olea 17 - Schrebera 49, 102.
Illustrations: Fig. 124. Myxopyrum enerve Steenis: a. habit; b. flower bud; c. idem in LS; d. corolla; e. anther; f. ovary; g. idem, in CS; h. idem, in LS; i. fruit; j. seed; k. underside of leaf with glands.
Image in PhytoImages for Oleaceae