EBENACEAE. — DIOSPYROS 589 



Meyer in Bull U, S, Dept. Agric. Bur, PL IndusL CCIV. 10, with 

 plates and figs. {Agric, Explor, Orchards China) (1911). — Dunn & 

 Tutcher in Kew Bull Misc, Inform, add. ser. X, IGl (Fl. Kwangtung 

 & Hongk.) (1912), 



Diospyros chinensis Blume, Cat, Hort, Buitenz. 110 (nomen nudum) (1823). 

 Diospyros Schi-tse Bunge in Mem. Sav. 6tr. Acad. Sci. St. Petersbourg, II. 116 



{Enum. PL Chin. Bor. 42) (1835). 

 EmhryopteHs Kaki G. Don, G^. Syst. IV. 41 (1838). 

 Diospyros Kaki, ^ cordata A. De Candolle, Prodr. VIII. 229 (1844). 

 Diospyros costata Carriere in Rev. Hort 1870, 131, 410, t. 

 Diospyros Kaki, var. costata Andr6 in III. Hort. XVIII. 176, t. 78 (1871). 

 Diospijros Roxhurghii Carriere in Rev. Hort. 1872, 253, fig. 28-29, 

 Diospyros Mazeli Carriers, 1. c. 1874, 70, t. 

 Diospyros lycopersicon Carriere, I. c. 1878, 470, t. 

 Diospyros Kaenipferi Naudin in Nouv. Arch. Mils. Paris, s&. 2, 111. 226, t. 



10 (1880). 

 Diospyros Aurantium Andr^ in Rev. Hort. 1887, 349, t. 

 Diospyros Bertii Andr^, 1. c. 1887, 349 t. 

 Diospyros elliptica Andr6, 1. c. 1887, 349, t. 

 Diospyros Sahuti Andr^, I. c. 1887, 349, t. 



Diospijros Kaki, f. grandifolia Diels in Bot. Jahrh. XXIX. 527 (1900). 

 Diospyros Kaki, j3 domestica Makino in Tokyo Bot. Mag. XXII. 159 (1908). 



Western Hupeh: ChangyangHsien, alt. 1300 m., cultivated, May 

 and November 1907 (No. 472; tree 6-20 m. tall, 0.3-2 m., girth, fruit 

 ovoid, golden). Chili: near Peking, Yellow Temple, September 16, 

 1903, C *S. Sargent, Fokien: Dunn's Exped. April to June, 1905 

 (Herb. Bot. Card. Hongkong No. 2912). 



This fruit tree is generally cultivated all over China and from there has 

 been introduced to Korea, Japan and other countries. The varieties are as numerous 

 as those of the apple and pear in western lands. The fruits differ in size, 

 shape, season of ripening, and in quantity or absence of seeds and in degree of as- 

 tringency. In central and western China the fruit is not considered edible until 

 dead ripe and bletted, but in Japan there are varieties which have flesh firm 

 as in an apple and which eaten in early October are not astringent. In Japan, 

 where this tree has been long cultivated, many diiferent varieties have originated 

 and some are equal to the best of the Chinese varieties, but on the whole the 

 persimmons of Japan are smaller than those of China, which are more or 

 less ovoid and obtuse, flattened, round and depressed forms being much less 

 common. 



In China and also in Japan this tree is usually grafted on Diospyros Lotus and 

 the point of union of scion and stock is clearly indicated by the difference between 

 the barks. In D. kaki it is pale gray and scales off, whereas in D. LotiLS it is dark in 

 color, deeply ridged and persistent. 



In D, kaki individual trees bear purely male or female flowers, and others 

 bear both male and female flowers on the same individual. Tlie flowers vary 

 greatly in size, and the calyx is extremely variable. So different are the male and 

 female flowers in appearance and size that they appear to belong to different spe- 



