Hume: A Kaki Classification 



403 



THE EFFECT OF TWO SEEDS. 



The variety shown is again Zengi, also figured in the two preceding illus- 

 trations. The development of two seeds in this variety (a "Pollina- 

 tion Variant") darkens a large part, but not all, of the flesh. (Fig. 8.) 



Zengi and Taber No. 129. Whether 

 this is merely a question of size or 

 whether it is a peculiarity into which 

 size does not enter, is not known. The 

 presence of seeds in Okame is accom- 

 panied by the darkening of small areas 

 about them; no such general effect 

 upon the flesh has been noted as is the 

 case with Hyakume and some other 

 sorts. 



Associated with the changes in the 

 color of the flesh there are well marked 

 variations in time of ripening, shape 

 and size of fruits, quality and texture 

 of flesh, but as these associated varia- 

 tions have been covered in detail else- 

 where,^ they need not be dwelt on here. 



OTHER SPECIES. 



In connection with the behavior of 

 fruits of other species of Diospyros it 

 may be of interest to point out that 

 there appear to be two distinct strains 

 of D. lotus, one with dark flesh, the other 

 with light flesh. The fruits of D. 

 virginiana are always light fleshed, 

 the fruits of D. texana are always dark 

 fleshed. 



Why is it that D. kaki presents these 

 peculiar characteristics"' Why is it for 

 instance that Tsuru is always light 

 fleshed whether the fruit contains seeds 

 or not, while Yemon is light fleshed 



* Hume, H. Harold. Effect of Pollination on the fruit of Diospyros Kaki. 

 The Society for Horticultural Science. 1913— pp. 88-93. Mar. 1914. 



when seedless and dark fleshed when 

 seedy? Is it not likely that D. kaki is 

 not a true species but rather a mixture 

 of two or more species, hybridized and 

 grown under cultivation for centuries? 

 Is it not possible that the present 

 cultivated varieties known under the 

 name D. kaki are derived from two 

 distinct species, one bearing dark 

 fleshed fruit and the other light fleshed 

 fruit ? Is the dark fleshed character 

 latent in the Pollination Constants':! 



While the answers to the questions 

 indicated may never be definitely known 

 and it may be that the phenornenon of 

 flesh color changes is due to entirely 

 different causes than those suggested, 

 yet the fact remains that D. kaki under 

 cultivation presents wide variations in 

 many particulars, and the suggestion 

 that it is a conglomerate species is at 

 least a plausible one. In shape and 

 peculiarities of fruit, color and charac- 

 teristics of bark, size and shape of leaves, 

 habit of growth and size of tree, they 

 vary much more than any of our com- 

 mon fruits usually regarded as being 

 derived from single species. The prob- 

 lem is a complex one. Some light 

 might be thrown on it by a careful 

 exploration of Japan and the adjacent 

 mainland of China. Since the Japanese 

 forms had their origin in China a care- 

 Proceedings of 



