1014 



DIOSCOREA 



DIOSPYROS 



striaght, with short thin laterals: st. 3-10 ft., weak and flexuose, 

 pubescent: Ivs. all alternate (except perhaps at lowest node), 

 grayish pubescent: staminate infl. solitary in upper axils, the upper 

 ones paniculate; pistillate infl. with 1-4 frs., which are nearly 1 in. 

 long. Carolinas and Ga. D. floridana, Bartlett. Rhizomes 

 undescribed: st. flexuose and twining: Ivs. alternate, wholly gla- 

 brous, green above and paler beneath: staminate infl. paniculate, in 

 the upper axils and also terminal; pistillate infl. solitary, 5-7-fld. : fr. 

 similar to those of D. paniculata, nearly 1 in. long, S. C. to Fla. 



Of the many names appearing in horticultural literature, the 

 following are recent: D. argyrxa, Hort. Lvs. with silver-gray 

 angular patches along the main nerves. Colombia. Probably one 

 of the D. discolor-multicolor group. D. bicolor, Hort. Greenhouse 

 climber, with ovate and cordate Ivs., variegated above and deep pur- 

 ple beneath. G.W. 13, p. 254. Perhaps a garden form of some species, 

 although there is a D. bicolor, Prain & Burkill described in a 



Bengal journal. D. Fdrgesii, Franch. Twining, with spherical 



aerial tubers: Ivs. of 3-5 parts or Ifts., ternate or digitate, the 

 parts oval or oval-lanceolate, more or less acuminate: female fls. 

 in a very long cluster, sessile, subtended by lanceolate bracts; 

 female fl. oblong, with 6 short segms.: subterranean tuber globular, 

 said to be edible; plant produces aerial tubers. W. China. R.H. 

 1900, p. 685. D. globdsa, Roxbg. Cult, by Hindoos: tubers large, 

 round and white: sts. 6-winged, prickly toward the root: Ivs. 

 sagittate-cordate, ensiform, 5-7-nerved, the long petiole 5-winged: 

 staminate infl. long-pendulous and compound, and verticillate ; 

 pistillate infl. simple and erect in the axils, few-fld. India. This 

 name is listed in Eu. D. illustrata, Hort., appears in European 

 lists: Ivs. satiny green with a central band of gray, transverse 

 lines of white, and gray patches, under surface purple. Brazil. 

 Probably one of the D. discolor group. D. japdnica, Thunb. St. 

 slender, climbing 10-12 ft.: Ivs. ovate with tapering apex and 

 deeply cordate base, with some of the axils bearing small 

 oblong tubers or bulbels: pistillate fls. small, white, racemose 

 near the top of the plant: fr. triangular, winged: root 34 ft. 

 long, 1-2 in. diam., often branched. Japan. Cult, forms have 

 thicker and more condensed roots, and are eaten after the 

 manner of potatoes. Offered abroad.' D. macroura, Harms. 

 Lvs. simple, alternate, glabrous, stalked, cordate-orbicular, 1 ft. 

 each way, undulate, with an apical cusp 1/^-2 in. long: male fls. 

 in a large panicle, the racemes reaching 2 ft., the fertile stamens 6 

 and very short. Upper Guinea (Trop. Afr.). D. reiiisa. Mast. 

 Sts. slender, much twining, finely pubescent: Ivs. alternate, com- 

 pound; Ifts. 5, stalked obovate, retuse, to 2 in. long, green and 

 glabrous: male fls. few, in short-peduncled racemes; perianth- 

 segms. oblong and connivent; fertile stamens 3 and staminodea 3. 

 S. Afr. G.C. 1870: 1149. G.Z. 22, p. 242. L H B. 



DIOSMA (Greek, divine odor). Rutacese. Small ten- 

 der heath-like shrubs from southwestern Africa. 



Leaves al- 

 ternate or op- 

 posite, linear- 

 acute, chan- 

 neled, serru- 

 late or some- 

 times ciliate, 

 glandular- 

 dotted: fls. white or red- 

 dish, terminal, subsoli- 

 tary or corymbose, 

 pedicellate ; calyx 5- 

 parted; hypogynous disk 

 5-sinuate, 5-plaited; 

 petals 5; style short; 

 stigma capitate: carpels 

 5. Of the more than 200 

 species described, barely 

 a dozen now remain in 

 this genus, the others 

 being mostly referred to allied 

 genera, especially Adenandra, 

 Agathosma and Barosma. 



The plant known to gardeners 

 (and described by Linnseus) as 

 D. capitata is now referred to 

 Audouinia capitata, Brongn., 

 which belongs in a different 

 order (Bruniacese) and even in a 

 different subclass of the Dicoty- 

 ledons (genus named for J. V. 

 Audouin, born 1797, famous 

 entomologist). It is a heath-like 

 shrub 2-3 ft. high, with erect 

 branches, and somewhat 



1271. Native persim- J vh I>1 ! d 'x mostlv . clustered 

 mon, Diospyros virgin- branchlets: Ivs. spirally arranged, 

 iana. (XM) stalkless, overlapping, linear, 3- 



angled, roughish, with 2 grooves beneath : fls. crimson 

 (according to Flora Capensis), crowded into oblong 

 spike-like, terminal heads. Generic characters are: calyx 

 adhering to the ovary, 5-cleft, segms. large, overlapping; 

 petals with a long, 2-keeled claw, and a spreading, 

 roundish limb; stamens included; ovary half inferior, 

 3-celled, cells 2-ovuled; style 3-angled, with 3 small, 

 papilla-like stigmas. One species. 



In America, D. ericoides is more or less well known, 

 and is put to various uses in floral decorations, in sprays, 

 or branchlets cut to the required length, and stuck in 

 formal designs as a setting for other flowers in the 

 same manner and for the same purpose as Stevia is 

 used, to give that necessary grace and artistic effect 

 to the whole. This species, like most of the genus, has 

 an agreeable aromatic fragrance in the foliage. It 

 is a strong grower, loose and heath-like in habit and 

 foliage, as the specific name indicates; flowers White and 

 small, one or more on the points of tiny branchlets. 

 While diosmas undoubtedly do best in soil suitable 

 for heaths, that is, soil composed largely of fibrous 

 peat, they are not nearly so exacting in their require- 

 ments in this respect, and can be grown in good fibrous 

 loam and leaf-mold in equal parts, with considerable 

 clean sharp sand added thereto. The plants should be 

 cut back rather severely after flowering to keep them 

 low and bushy; this refers more particularly to the 

 above species, other members of the genus being of 

 more compact growth and needing very little correc- 

 tive cutting to keep them in shape. D. capitata (properly 

 Audouinia capitata) is a fine example of the latter class, 

 and is much better than D. ericoides for exhibition and 

 show purposes; flowers pinkish lilac, in corymbs. The 

 propagation of diosmas by cuttings is similar to that 

 of heaths, but much easier , The best material for cut- 

 tings is young wood. (Kenneth Finlayson.) 



ericoides, Linn. Much-branched, 1-2 ft., leafy: 

 branches and twigs quite glabrous: Ivs. alternate, 

 crowded, recurved-spreading, oblong, obtuse, keeled, 

 pointless, glabrous: fls. terminal, 2-3 together, with 

 very short pedicels; calyx-lobes ovate, obtuse; petals 

 reddish, elliptic-oblong or obovate, obtuse, narrowed to 

 a short claw, twice as long as the calyx; disk free and 

 5-lobed. B.M. 2332 under this name is in reality D. 

 vulgaris var. longifolia. G. 33:501. 



The plant cult, in Calif, as Diosma purpurea belongs to Aga- 

 thosma (Greek, good odor) , differing from Diosma chiefly in the 

 presence of 5 staminodes and in the 3 or 4 carpels; it is A. villdsa 

 Willd., a shrub about 1 ft. high with upright branches, spirally 

 arranged upright and imbricate Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, ciliate, 

 pubescent beneath, J^-J^in. long: fls. light purple, in dense terminal 

 heads; pedicels unequal, at least the outer ones not exceeding the 

 Ivs. S. Afr. R.B. 5: 369 (as Diosma hirta), H.I. 1:4. Another 

 species sometimes cult, as D. purpurea is Agathosma Ventenatiana, 

 Bartl. & Wendl. differing from the preceding species chiefly in the 

 spreading Ivs. and in nearly equal pedicels exceeding the Ivs. 

 L.B.C. 12: 1122 (as Diosma hirta). 



D. fragrans, Sim s= Adenandra fragrans. D. vulgaris, Schlecht., 

 has narrower Ivs. than D. ericoides, and they are acute: branchlets 

 minutely pubescent: Ivs. scattered, rarely opposite, linear, convex- 

 carinate, subulate-acuminate: fls. corymbose, the petals white, or 

 red on the outside: plant 1-2 or more ft. There are well-marked 

 botanical varieties. WlLHELM MlLLER. 



L. H. B.f 



DlOSPillOS (Dios, Jove's, pyros, grain; alluding 

 to its edible fruit). Ebendcese. PERSIMMON. EBONY. 

 Woody plants grown partly for the handsome foliage 

 and partly for their edible fruits; some species are 

 valuable timber trees. 



Deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs, with alter- 

 nate, rarely opposite, entire Ivs., without stipules: fls. 

 dioacious or polygamous in few- or many-fld., axillary 

 cymes, the pistillate often solitary, yellowish or whitish; 

 calyx and corolla 3-7-, usually 4-lobed; stamens usually 

 8-16, included; styles 2-6; ovary 4-12-celled: fr. a 

 large, juicy berry, 1-10-seeded, bearing usually the 

 enlarged calyx at the base; seed flat, rather large. 

 About 190 species in the tropics, few in colder climates. 

 The few cultivated species are ornamental trees, 



