Notelaea
(from notos, south, and Elaia, the Olive; in allusion to the form and native place of the species). SYN. Rhysospermum. ORD. Oleaceae. A genus comprising eight species of Australian, greenhouse evergreen shrubs or trees, with the habit of Olive, only three of which, probably, have yet been introduced. Flowers in short, fasciculate, axillary racemes; petals four, broad, obtuse, free, or connected by pairs to the filaments at the base. Drupe globose, ovoid or oblong. Leaves opposite, entire. The species thrive in a compost of peat and loam, with a little sand and charcoal added. Propagated, in April, by cuttings of firm side shoots, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, without heat.
N. longifolia (long-leaved). fl. white, small; racemes rarely 1in. long. March to June. fr. ovoid or globular, dark-bluish. l. lanceolate, reticulately veined on both surfaces, more or less downy beneath, dotless, 2in. to 6in. long. 1790. Tall shrub. SYN. Olea apetala (A. B. R. 316). N. ovata (ovate). fl. similar to those of N. longifolia; racemes few-flowered. June. fr. like that of N. longifolia. l. very shortly petiolate, ovate or broadly ovate-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, rounded or contracted at base, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long. 1824. Shrub.
N. punctata (dotted). fl. as in N. longifolia. June. fr. ovoid, smaller than that of N. longifolia. l. oblong-lanceolate, 2in. to 3in. long, tapering into a rather long petiole, reticulate above, densely dotted beneath. 1826. Shrub.