908 EBENACEAE 



Order 3. EBENALES. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, sometimes persist- 

 ent : blades simple, commonly entire. Flowers perfect, monoecious or dioe- 

 cious. Calyx of 3-12 partially united sepals. Corolla of 3-12 partially united 

 petals. Androecium of as many stamens as there are corolla-lobes or twice as 

 many, or more, sometimes accompanied by staminodia. Gynoecium of 3-several 

 united carpels. Ovary superior or inferior. Styles and stigmas distinct or 

 united. Ovules solitary or several in each cavity of the ovary. Fruit capsular 

 or baccate. 



Styles or stigmas distinct : flowers mostly monoecious or dioecious. Fam. 1. EBENACEAE. 

 Styles and stigmas united : flowers mostly perfect. 



Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes, at least in our representatives. Fam. 2. SAPOTACEAE. 

 Stamens twice as many as the corolla-lobes or more. 



Stamens in several series. Fam. 3. SYMPLOCACEAE. 



Stamens in 1 series. Fam. 4. STYRACACEAE. 



FAMILY 1. EBENACEAE Vent. EBONY FAMILY. 



Shrubs or trees, with a watery or milky sap, a compact wood and a very 

 astringent bark. Leaves alternate, or rarely opposite or whorled : blades sim- 

 ple : stipules wanting. Flowers inconspicuous, dioecious, or rarely polygamous 

 or perfect, regular, solitary or in cymes. Calyx inferior, 3-7-lobed, persistent, 

 accrescent. Corolla gamopetalous, variable in shape, with 3-7 valvate, imbricated 

 or contorted lobes. Androecium of 3 or 4 times as many stamens as the petals, 

 adnate to the corolla-tube. Anthers introrse, opening lengthwise or by pores. 

 Ovary 3-several-celled. Styles commonly united at the base. Stigmas simple 

 or 2-cleft. Ovules solitary, or 2 in each cavity, pendulous, anatropous. Fruit 

 a fleshy berry or sometimes capsular. Seeds mostly flattened, with a smooth 

 membranous or leathery testa. Endosperm copious, cartilaginous, sometimes 

 channeled. Embryo straight or slightly curved in the axis of the endosperm. 



Styles distinct : anthers opening lengthwise : filaments pubescent : pistillate flowers with staminodia. 



1. DIOSPYROS. 



Styles united : anthers opening by nearly apical pores : filaments glabrous : pistil- 

 late flowers without staminodia. 2. BRAYODENDRON. 



1. DIOSPYROS L. 



Shrubs or trees, with hard wood and watery sap. Leaves alternate or rarely nearly 

 opposite : blades entire. Flowers dioecious, or rarely polygamous, solitary or in axillary 

 cymes. Calyx 3-7-lobed. Corolla varying from urn-shaped to salver-form, 3-7-lobed : 

 lobes contorted or imbricated. Stamens 4, 8, 16 or more, inserted, sometimes in pairs, at 

 the base of the corolla, or hypogynous, reduced to staminodia in pistillate flowers : anther- 

 sacs opening by lateral chinks. Ovary 4-1 2-celled: styles 2-6, distinct. Berry spheroidal, 

 globose or conic, subtended by the accrescent calyx. 



1. Diospyros Virgini^na L. A tree, reaching a maximum height of about 35 in., 

 with a trunk diameter of less than 1 m. Bark deep brown or black, finally divided into 

 small blocks : leaf-blades rather leathery, ovate, oval or elliptic, 8-20 cm. long, acute or 

 acuminate, entire, undulate, varying from acute to cordate at the base, becoming glabrous, 

 deep green above, pale beneath ; petioles 1-3 cm. long : calyx-lobes 4, triangular, ovate- 

 triangular or sometimes ovate-lanceolate, obtuse or acutish : corolla urn-shaped, 8-13 mm. 

 long ; lobes 4, more or less reniform, the tips recurved : staminodia 8, lanceolate-sagittate : 

 stamens mostly 16, included : anthers often bearded at the base : ovary glabrous or nearly 

 so : berry depressed-globose or obovoid-globose, 3-4 cm. in diameter, very astringent when 

 green, sweet and luscious when mature. 



In fields and woods, Connecticut to Iowa, Florida and Texas. Flowers in the spring and matures 

 its fruit after frost. PERSIMMON. DATE PLUM. SIMMON. POSSUMWOOD. 



2. BRAYODENDRON Small. 



Shrubs or small trees, with a relatively smooth bark. Leaves alternate, approximated 

 near the ends of twigs : blades leathery, broadened upward, entire. Flowers dioecious, 

 solitary or 2-3 together in clusters. Calyx mostly 5-lobed. Corolla urn-shaped, pubes- 



