88 WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 



is widely open, as in D. Embryopteris and the urceolate 

 flowers of D. sylvatica, the second all those in which the 

 corolla tube communicates with the exterior by a very small 

 aperture. The majority of the species have the corolla 

 of male and female flowers of this type, and in many of 

 them the aperture is exceedingly narrow and appears to be 

 closed until a late stage in the development of the flower. 

 The smallest apertures are to be seen in D,, attenuata, 

 D. quaesita, and D. Toposia. 



The smallness of the aperture renders it impossible for 

 any. but the smallest insects to enter them, and this, 

 together with the inconspicuous nature of the flowers in 

 general, may yet be found to be correlated with the evolution 

 of sex in this genus. 



The sympetalous corolla with imbricated aestivation 

 reminds one of the Styraceae, Sapotacese, and Ilicineae*. It is 

 also true that the corolla segments are often deeply parti- 

 tioned, and that such bear a resemblance to polypetalous 

 orders. 



Hallier| lays stress upon the fact that the corolla segments 

 are alternate with the five small, narrow and acuminate 

 calyx segments in Pittosporaceae and the Ebenales. This 

 cannot be seriously regarded as of great importance, though 

 one cannot but admit that the accessory whorls of, say, 

 Pittosporum Timorense, Bl., have a strong resemblance in 

 form, colour, and texture to those of the male flowers of 

 Diospyros species. 



Staminal Whorl. The staminal whorl is in the form of 

 an epipetalous, hypogynous, or perigynous ring of stamens 

 or staminodes in the male and female flowers respectively ; 

 it is present in the flowers of every Ceylon species of 

 Diospyros, and as an essential whorl is characteristic of the 

 genus throughout the world. 



The components of the staminal whorl have a much more 

 constant orientation and number in the female than in the 



* Hiern, I.e., p. 62. f Hallier, I.e., p. 33. 



