Elaborator

One who elaborates. Elæagna'ceæ, n. [Gr. elaia, the olive, and agnos, chaste, the trees having a resemblance to the olive.] (Bot.) The Oleaster family, an ord. of plants, alliance A men tales. - DIAG. 1-celled ovary, a simple ascending ovule, an inferior radicle, and flowers occasionally perfect or scattered. They are trees or shrubs, usually covered with a leprous scurf. Leaves alternate or opposite, entire, without stipules. Flowers axillary, dicecious, rarely perfect. Sterile flowers, calyx 4-parted, stamens 3, 4, or 8, se ile, anthers 2-celled. Fertile flowers, calyx free, tubular, persistent, limb entire or 2-4-toothed. Ovary simple, l-celled. Ovule solitary, stipitate. Stigmas simple subulate, glandular. Fruit a chenium, crustaceous, enclosed within the calyx, which becomes succulent and baccate. Seeds ascending. Embryo straight, in thin, fleshy albumen. This family is found in every part of the N. hemisphere, but is comparatively rare S. of the equator. E. includes 4 genera and 30 species. The fruits of several species of the typical gen. Elæagnus, q. v.