382 



LXXX. EBENACEJS. Diospyros. 



8f hi°-h Leaves narrowed at base into a short petiole, uncinately serrate, with 

 prominent, pubescent veins beneath. Flowers white, dioecious, small, in im- 

 perfect umbels or heads, sometimes monoecious. Berries scarlet, in little 

 bunches (apparently verticillate), roundish, 6-celled and 6-seeded, permanent. Jl. 



2. P. AMBiGUUS. Miclix. Dubious Winter Berry. 



Lvs. deciduous, oval, entire, acuminate at both ends ; parts ofthejls. in4s, 

 the sterile ones crowded, the fertile solitary.— A shrub or small tree, 8— 15f 

 hi<^h, in wet grounds, Mid. States. Bark whitish, smooth. Leaves elliptic-oval, 

 mucronate-pointed, petiolate, subpubescent beneath, 1—2' long and halt as wide. 

 Flowers polygamous, 4— 5-cleft, the fertile ones on long peduncles. June. 



3. P. L^viGATUs. Pursh. 



Lvs. deciduous, lanceolate, appressed-serrulate, glabrous on both sides, 

 shining above, minutely pubescent on the veins beneath ; p. hexamerous, 9 

 axillary subsessile, ^ scattered,pedicellate.— In swamps and marshes, Northern 

 and We'stern States ! S. to N. J. Shrub 6— 9f high, with grayish and warty 

 branches. Leaves 2—3' by 8—12", acute at each end ; petioles t^-10" long. 

 Flowers mostly solitary, the sterile on pedicels near 1' long, the lerlile pedicels 

 scarcely i as long. Berries large, red. June. 



4. P. LANCEOLATUS. Pursh. 



Lvs lanceolate, acute at each end, finely and remotely serrulate, glabrous 

 both sides; J^ flowers aggregated, triandrous, 9 generally in pairs, peduncu- 

 late 6— numerous ; berries small, scarlet.— Barrens and marshes. Western {Rid- 

 dell) and Southern States ! Shrub 6— 8f high.— 1 am wholly unacquainted with 

 this species as a western plant, but have specimens collected in N. J. '? by Dr. 

 Robbins. The leaves are paler beneath, 2—3' (including the petiole 3—6") by 

 l_li'^ veins beneath pubescent, ferruginous. Pedicels of the barren flowers 

 are V long, of the fertile i' long. June. 



5. P. GLABER. Ink Berry. Evergreen Prinos. 



Lvs evergreen, coriaceous, cuneate-lanceolate, glabrous, shining, serrate 

 at the end.— A beautiful shrub 3— 4f high, found in swamps, Mass. ! R. I. ! to 

 N Y and Car. Leaves very smooth, leathery, shining, 1—1^' by 5—7", broad- 

 est above the middle. Pedicels subsolitary, 1— 3-flowered. Flowers white, 

 mostly 6-parted. Berries roundish, black and shining. June, July. 



Order LXXX. EBENACE^.— Ebonads. 



Trees or shruls without milky juice and with a hea\T wood. 



Lot. alternate, exstipulate, coriaceous, entire. Inflorescence &xi\\&ry. 



Fis by abortion dioecious, seldom perfect. Cal. free, 3-6-cleft, divisions nearly equal, persistent. 



Cor. regular, 3— 6-cleft, often pubescent, imbricate in aestivation. 



Sta. twice or four times as many as the lobes of the corolla. 



Ova. with 3 or more cells. Style with as many divisions. 



Fr. a fleshy, oval or globose berry. 



Genera 9, species 160, mostly natives of the Indies and the tropics, one only being found as fer north as 

 New York. 



Prope?-^/e?.-Diosp}TUS is remarkable for the hardness and dark color of the wood. . Ebony is the wood 

 of D Ebenus, Ebenaster, and other species, natives of Africa The fruit of the srecies below >s eatable 

 when t-ully ripe, although extremely bitter and astringent before matuiity. The bark is eminently febri- 

 fugal and astringent. 



DIOSPYROS. 



Gr. Aios TTvpos, the fruit of Jove ; the fruit, although excellent, hardly merits the name. 



Fls. J^9. Cal. 4 — Globed; cor. tubular or campanulate, 4 — 6- 

 cleft, convolute in sestivatlon. c^ sta. 8—50, mostly 16 ; fil. shorter 

 than the anthers ; ova. abortive ; sty. 0. 9 sta. mostly 8, without 

 anthers; sty. 2 — 4-cleft ; berry ovoid or globose, 4 — 12, mostly 8- 

 celled, cells l-seeded.— A large genus of shrubs or trees^ mostly tropical 



D. ViRGiNiANA. Persimmon Tree. 



Lvs. elliptic, abruptly acuminate, entire, smooth, petiole, veins and mar- 

 gin puberulent ; rac. axillary, 3— 1-flowered, pedicels shorter than the flowers; 

 cal: 4-parted; sta. 8.— In woods, lat. 42° to La., frequent. A shrub or small 



