Hume — The Flowers of Diospyros Kaki L. F. 131 



The flowers of ^^ Phelps" and ''Triumph" are almost 

 urceolate with rounded throat. 



The pedicels of all varieties observed are very per- 

 sistent and may still be found adhering on one and two- 

 year-old and occasionally on three-year-old branches. 

 The sex of a tree may be determined by their presence 

 during the dormant and out-of-flower season. 



The economy of the large foliaceous calyx on the pis- 

 tillate flowers is quite apparent. It serves the same 

 purpose as a leaf in preparing food for the tree, whereas 

 the calyx of the staminate flower is small, of little value 

 in this particular, and is early deciduous. 



A careful microscopical examination of many hun- 

 dreds of stamens of the true type of pistillate flowers 

 has failed to show the presence of pollen in them. 



Perfect Flowers. 

 The perfect flowers of D. Kaki are borne singly, in 

 pairs or in three-flowered cymes usually near the base 

 of vigorous shoots which frequently bear staminate 

 flowers in the upper nodes, 13-20 mm. long. The pedicels 

 are short 10-30 mm. long, medium stout, covered with 

 minute hairs. The calyx is 4 parted, intermediate in 

 development between the calyces of the staminate and 

 pistillate flowers. The lobes are more pointed than in 

 the pistillate flowers and often nearly as long as 

 the corolla, smooth and shiny or with only a few scat- 

 tered hairs. Corolla tubular',' urceolate, rounded or 

 quadrangular, resembling the corolla of the staminate 

 flowers, but of greater diameter just above the base, con- 

 stricted below the 4 recurved lobes, which are deep yel- 

 low on the inner surface. Stamens 16 to 24 (generally 

 16 to 18) in number with well developed pollen bearing 

 anthers and short filaments, the anthers surrounding 

 the stigma and projecting into the throat of th-e corolla. 

 The ovary is more pointed than in the pistillate form 

 on the same tree, 8-celled; pistil four parted; the stig- 

 matic ends straight, and only slightly divided. 



