FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 



215 



wood of many is extremely hard and would be valuable in the arts, but 

 as the Sapotaceae are preeminently trees of the virgin forest it is often 

 impossible to utilize them. A kind of gutta percha is derived from 

 Mimusojys Balata of Guiana. Another species growing in South Florida 

 {M. Sieberi) is known as wild sapodilla or " dilly," and the fruit is much 

 prized by children, although it cannot be called of superior quality. 



Fig. 186. The Wild Sapodilla {Mimusops Siebeti) showing flower cluster 

 and section of fruit, the whole reduced. Original. 



Family Ebenaceae. Ebony Family. Contains half a dozen genera 

 and about 280 species, natives of warm climates. They are trees or 

 shrubs, characterized in general by the coriaceous entire leaves, and per- 

 fect or unisexual flowers having a persistent 3-7-parted calyx, a 3-7- 

 cleft corolla, and twice or thrice as many stamens. The 3-several-celled 

 ovary becomes a fleshy berry in fmit. The trees of this family yield a 

 hard and valuable wood, ebony being the product chiefly of an East In- 

 dian species of persimmon {Diospyros). Another species of the same 

 genus affords the variegated Calamander wood of Ceylon. The edible 

 fruit of Diospyros is familiar to every one who has lived in a persimmon 

 region, and particularly to the luckless indi\dduals (and their name is 

 legion!) who have ventured to taste the attractive orange-colored berries 

 before the frost has induced a partial decay. The Japanese persimmon 

 {D. Kaki) is much larger and superior in flavor to our own. 



Familj^ Symplocaceae. Sweet-leaf Family. Trees or shrubs with 

 broad entire leaves and mostly perfect, clustered flowers. Calyx-tube 



