MR HIERN. ON EBENACE^E. 225 



Watson, Dendr. Brit. II. t. 146 (1825). 



Rafinesque, Medic. Fl. N. Amer. i. p. 153. t. 32 (1828). 



Alph. DC. Prodr. viii. p. 228. n. 29 (1844). 



Belgique Horticole, IV. p. 118. tab. (1854). 



Ettingsh. Blatt-skel. Dikot. p. 89. t. 38. f. 12 (1861). 



Pishamin, Parkinson, Paradis. p. 570 (1629), Theatr. p. 1523. f. 4 (1640). 



D. concolor, Moench, Meth. p. 470 (1794). 



D. guaiacana, Robin, Voyages, vol. III. p. 417 (1807). 



D. pubescens, Pursh, Fl. N. Amer. p. 265 (1814), non Pers. 



D. caroliniana, Muhlenb. ex Rafin. Floral. Ludovic. p. 139 (1817). 



D. Persimon, Wikstr. Jahr. Schwed. 1830, p. 92 (1834). 



D. ciliata, Rafin. New Flora and Bot. N. Amer. part in. p. 25 (1836), non Alph. DC. 



D. fertilis, Lodd. Cat. ex Loud. Arb. et Frut. Brit. II. 1197 (1838). 



D. calycina, Audib.Cat. Hort. Tonn. $. ex Spach, Hist. Ve'ge't. IX. p. 405 (1840), non Wall. &c. 



D. angustifolia, Audib. ex Spach, Hist. Ve'ge't. IX. p. 405 (1840). 



D. lucida, Hort. ex Loud. Gard. Mag. 1841, p. 394, non Wall. 



D. intermedia, Hort. ex Loud. Encycl. Trees and Shrubs, p. 627 (1842). 



A tree attaining in favourable places 60 feet in height and 20 in. in diameter in the 

 trunk, according to Michaux, from whom other details are taken. The trunk of full-grown 

 trees is covered with much and deeply-cracked blackish bark; the sap-wood after drying 

 keeps a clear greenish colour, and the heart is brown. The wood is hard, compact and 

 tough, and is used for several mechanical purposes. The inner bark is said to be useful 

 in intermittent fevers. Young parts pubescent. Branches spreading at 50 60. Leaves 

 alternate, submembranous, more or less oval, slightly narrowed, rounded or even slightly 

 cordate at base, usually shortly acuminate at apex, paler beneath and often pubescent ; 

 2 7 in. long (besides pubescent petiole | in. long) by 1 3| in. wide. Flowers tetramerous 

 or occasionally pentamerous, greenish. 



<?. Flowers in short 1 3-flowered pubescent cymes which measure (excluding the 

 flowers) about in. long. Calyx small, about -^ in. high, partite, hairy, with lanceolate 

 lobes. Corolla tubular-urceolate, J in. long, or in subhermaphrodite flowers in. long, lobes 

 one-third the length of the corolla. Stamens 16, in pairs, somewhat hairy. Ovary glabrous, 

 rudimentary. 



9 . Flower solitary, \ in. long and wide, on peduncles -^ in. long; ovary glabrous, pilose 

 at apex, 8-celled, cells 1-ovuled ; styles 4, pilose at base. Fruit solitary, on peduncles in. 

 long, subglobose, 1 1J in. in diameter, glabrous, edible, tipped at apex with remains of style ; 

 skin thin, of a pale orange-colour when ripe, often marked externally with 4 depressed lines 

 running down from the apex, and with a slight pruinose bloom ; pulp with a sweetish apricot- 

 like taste when ripe but somewhat astringent ; seeds 6 8, sometimes 3 5, about in. long, 

 | in. broad and \ in. thick. Fruiting calyx spreading, 4-fid, occasionally 5-fid (in one case 

 small and trifid in a cultivated specimen), f 1J in. across, subglabrous; lobes broadly ovate, 

 J f in. broad, usually somewhat concave from below and not appressed to the fruit, with 

 recurved margins; tube convex from above with a circular depression at its outer margin. 



The fruit, which is locally known by the name of Persimon, does not fully ripen north 

 VOL. XII. PAKT I. 29 



