DIERVILLA DIOSPYROS 493 



sulphur-yellow, ^ in. long, a narrow tube with five narrow-oblong, blunt 

 lobes. Calyx with five narrow, awl-shaped lobes. Seed-vessel ^ in. long. 



Native of the south-eastern United States. This is much superior to 

 its ally D. Lonicera, producing large clusters of flowers on the current 

 season's shoots. It should be pruned back in spring before growth 

 commences, when it will send up a dense mass of shoots that will blossom 

 during the summer. 



D. SPLENDENS, Carriere (D. sessilifolia splendens, Hort.\ is thought to 

 be a hybrid between the above and D. Lonicera. 



D. RIVULARIS, Gattinger, is closely allied to and very similar to 

 D. sessilifolia, but the leaves are downy on both sides, especially beneath ; 

 the young shoots are downy all over ; and the seed-vessel is only \ in. long. 

 Flowers lemon-yellow. Native of the south-eastern United States ; introduced 

 in 1902 to Kew. 



DIOSPYROS. EBENACE^:. 



Of this large and important genus (to which the ebony tree belongs) 

 only three species are known to be really hardy in this country, although 

 a fourth D. Kaki will succeed in the warmer counties in the open, 

 and in many places elsewhere against a wall. They are trees with alternate, 

 entire leaves, and the shoots do not form terminal buds. The male 

 and female flowers are on separate trees, and both are small and without 

 beauty. The fruits are large, and beset at the base by the calyx, which 

 continues to grow after the rest of the flower has fallen. These trees 

 like a good loamy soil, and should be raised from seed, except the named 

 varieties of D. Kaki, which are grafted on seedlings. 



D. ARMATA, Hemsley. 



A semi-evergreen tree of sturdy, rounded habit, 20 ft. high, much branched ; 

 the branchlets clothed with a thick minute down, and occasionally terminated 

 by a stout thorn. Leaves \ to 2^ ins. long, ^ to ij ins. wide ; entire, the 

 smaller ones roundish, the larger ones oval, tapered about equally at both 

 ends, blunt or rounded at the apex, dark shining green, the midrib minutely 

 downy above, minutely hairy beneath ; the blade is specked with minute 

 transparent dots ; stalk $ in. or less long. Flowers not seen. Fruit yellow, 

 roundish, f in. diameter, furnished with appressed bristles ; borne on a stalk 

 about ^ in. long and set in a persistent calyx, the four lobes of wh'ich are 

 ovate, | in. long. 



Native of Central China ; discovered by Henry, introduced by Wilson in 

 1904, and now growing in the open air at Kew apparently quite hardy, 

 and forming a sturdy bush. In the original description the leaves are 

 described as persistent, but cultivated plants would, apparently, be deciduous 

 in hard winters. 



D. KAKI, Linnaus. KAKEE, or CHINESE PERSIMMON. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 8127.) 



A deciduous tree, ultimately 20 to 40 ft. high, with more or less downy 

 young shoots and winter buds. Leaves oval, 3 to 8 ins. long, i^ to 3^ ins. 

 wide ; tapering at both ends ; strongly veined ; soon smooth gfossy green 



