908 EBENACEAE 
Order 3. EBENALES. 
Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, sometimes persist- 
ent: blades simple, commonly entire. Flowers perfect, monoecious or dioe- 
cious. Calyx of 3-12 partially united sepals. Corolla of 3-12 partially united 
petals. Androecium of as many stamens as there are corolla-lobes or twice as 
many, or more, sometimes accompanied by staminodia. Gynoecium of 3-several 
united carpels. Ovary superior or inferior. Styles and stigmas distinct or 
united. Ovules solitary or several in each cavity of the ovary. Fruit capsular 
or baccate. 
Styles or stigmas distinct: flowers mostly monoecious or dioecious. Fam. 1. EBENACEAE. 
Styles and stigmas united: flowers mostly perfect. : 
Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes, at least in our representatives. Fam. 2. SAPOTACEAE. 
` Stamens twice as many as the corolla-lobes or more. 
Stamens in several series. Fam. 3. SYMPLOCACEAE. 
Stamens in 1 series. Fam. 4. STYRACACEAE. 
FAMILY 1l. EBENACEAE Vent. EBoNY FAMILY. 
Shrubs or trees, with a watery or milky sap, a compact wood and a very 
astringent bark. Leaves alternate, or rarely opposite or whorled: blades sim- 
ple: stipules wanting. Flowers inconspicuous, dioecious, or rarely polygamous 
or perfect, regular, solitary or in cymes. Calyx inferior, 3-7-lobed, persistent, 
accrescent. Corolla gamopetalous, variable in shape, with 3-7 valvate, imbricated 
or contorted lobes. Androecium of 8 or 4 times as many stamens as the petals, 
adnate to the corolla-tube. Anthers introrse, opening lengthwise or by pores. 
Ovary 3-several-celled. Styles commonly united at the base. Stigmas simple 
or 2-cleft. Ovules solitary, or 2 in each cavity, pendulous, anatropous. Fruit 
a fleshy berry or sometimes capsular. Seeds mostly flattened, with a smooth 
membranous or leathery testa. Endosperm copious, cartilaginous, sometimes 
channeled. Embryo straight or slightly curved in the axis of the endosperm. 
Styles distinct : anthers opening lengthwise : filaments pubescent : pistillate flowers with staminodia. 
1, DIOSPYROS. 
Styles united : i y api : : pistil- 
: late (owen UL MR S Fg ap e HM 2. BRAYODENDRON. 
1. DIOSPYROS L. 
Shrubs or trees, with hard wood and watery sap. Leaves alternate or rarely nearly 
opposite: blades entire. Flowers dioecious, or rarely polygamous, solitary or 1n axillary 
cymes. Calyx 3-7-lobed. Corolla varying from urn-shaped to salver-form, 3-7-lobed : 
lobes contorted or imbricated. Stamens 4, 8, 16 or more, inserted, sometimes 1n pairs, at 
the base of the corolla, or hypogynous, reduced to staminodia in pistillate flowers: anther- 
sacs opening by lateral chinks. Ovary 4-12-celled: styles 2-6, distinct. Berry spheroidal, 
globose or conic, subtended by the accrescent calyx. 5 
1. Diospyros Virginiàna L. A tree, reaching a maximum height of about 39 m., 
with a trunk diameter of less than 1 m. Bark deep brown or black, finally divided into 
small blocks: leaf-blades rather leathery, ovate, oval or elliptic, 8-20 cm. long, acute or 
acuminate, entire, undulate, varying from acute to cordate at the base, becoming gana 
deep green above, pale beneath ; petioles 1-3 cm. long: calyx-lobes 4, triangular, ova 
triangular or sometimes ovate-lanceolate, obtuse or acutish : corolla urn-shaped, 8-13 gu 
long; lobes 4, more or less reniform, the tips recurved : staminodia 8, lanceolate-sagitta d 
stamens mostly 16, included : anthers often bearded at the base : ovary glabrous or vari 
so: berry depressed-globose or obovoid-globose, 3-4 cm. in diameter, very astringent W 
green, sweet and luscious when mature. 
In fields and woods, Connecticut to Iowa, Florida and Texas. Flowers in the spring and matures 
its fruit after frost. PERSIMMON. DATE PLUM. SIMMON. POSSUMWOOD. 
2. BRAYODENDRON Small. des 
Shrubs or small trees, with a relatively smooth bark. Leaves alternate, AD 
near the ends of twigs: blades leathery, broadened upward, entire. Flowers ee d 
solitary or 2-3 together in clusters. Calyx mostly 5-lobed. Corolla urn-shaped, pu 
