400 BREXIE^. [part n. 



oil, which is so concrete as to have the appear- 

 ance of butter ; and hence the tree is called the 

 Butter-tree. Sideroxyloii has such hard wood 

 as to be called the Iron-tree. The juice of all 

 these plants is milky, and the milk is wholesome 

 as food. 



ORDER CXXII.— EBENACE^. 



The principal genus is Diospyros ; which con- 

 tains the Ebony-tree (Z). Ebenum)^ the Date- 

 plum or Lotus- tree (Z). Lotos), both natives of 

 the East Indies ; and the Persimon (D. virgU 

 niana), a native of North America. The species 

 are trees with hard dark wood ; that of Ebony 

 is quite black when old, and remarkably heavy. 

 The flowers are white and inconspicuous, and the 

 fruit, which is eatable, but insipid, is a berry, 

 placed in the centre of the calyx, which spreads 

 round it like a saucer. It is very harsh when 

 first gathered, and must be kept till it is half 

 decayed, like the Medlar, before it is eaten. 



ORDER CXXIII.— BREXIE^. 



Large stove trees, with axillary branches of 

 white flowers. 



