Handbook of Trees of the Xorthekn States and Canada. 379 



The Persimmon tree ordinarly does not at- 

 tain a greater height than 40 or 50 ft., but in 

 the fertile valleys of southern Indiana and 

 Illinois it has been known to attain 100 ft. 

 in height, with trunk 2 or 3 ft. ill thickness. 

 As an isolated tree it develops a rather broa 1 

 rounded or flattened tup with contort .vl 

 branches. An attractive tree at all soison^ 

 it is particularly so in autumn, wh.m it 

 bright orange-colored fruit shows in strorg co - 

 trast to its green foliage, or later wi.en c m- 

 spicuous on its otherwise naked br uu-Iies 

 The fruit is rich in tannin and very astii:ig' t 

 until thorouglily ripe and soft, when it is ord - 

 narily delicious, though individual trees dl.Ter 

 in quality of fruit. 



The wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighing 49.28 lbs., hard and fine- 

 grained, and is used in turnery for small arti- 

 cles of wooden-ware, shoe-lasts, shuttles, etc.i 



Its fruit is often found in the markets of 

 southern cities, when in season. It is quite 

 variable in quality, and is occasionally fou^id 

 comparatively free from astringent properties. 

 By careful selection and propagntion trees 

 bearing superior fruit could no doubt be se- 

 cured worthy of propagation. 



Leaves ovate to oblons: and oval, ohtiiso. ^-7 

 in. long, rounded or suhcordatc at base, acumi- 

 nate, pubescent at first but at maturity lustrous 

 dark green above, paler and pubescent beneath, 

 coriaceous. Flowrrsi (May-.Fune) short-peduncu- 

 late ; staminate in 2-.S-flowered cymes : pistillate 

 solitary ; corolla greenish yellow : stamens of the 

 sterile flowers about 10 ano of the pistilln*" 

 flowers rudimentary and only S ; ovary nearly 

 glabrous, S-celled : st.vles 4, slender. Fruit mostly 

 depressed globose, i-lVj in. in diameter. |iab' 

 orange, often with red cheeks, glaucous, subtended 

 by the enlarged calyx, persistent into the winter ; 

 seeds oblong, flattened. = 



1. A. W., Ill, 01. 



2. For genus see p. 4-53. 



