538 



CXXXVIII. EBENACE^L 



Diospyros. 



Fruit with persistent calyx 

 (mag.). 



Diospyroi. 



Vertical section of fruit 

 (mag.). 



Diospyros. 



Transverse section of fruit 

 (mag.). 



Diospyroi. 



Vertical section of seed 

 (mag.). 



COROLLA monopetalous, hypogynous, regular, 3-7-lobed, aestivation imbricate. 

 STAMENS inserted on the corolla or receptacle, equalling the corolla-lobes, or double or 

 quadruple in number. OVARY free, of many 12-ovuled cells; OVULES pendulous, ana- 

 tropous. FRUIT a berry. EMBRYO albuminous ; RADICLE superior. 



TREES or SHRUBS with dense often very hard and black wood. LEAVES alter- 

 nate, coriaceous, entire, exstipulate. FLOWERS rarely g , usually dioecious (ovary of 

 $ rudimentary, stamens of ? imperfect or 0) ; $ in many-flowered cymes ; ? one- 

 flowered by arrest of the lateral flowers ; pedicels jointed at the top. CALYX 3-6-fid, 

 sub-equal, persistent. COROLLA inserted on the receptacle, monopetalous, deciduous, 

 \irceolate, coriaceous, usually pubescent outside, glabrous within; limb 3-6-fid, 

 aestivation imbricate-convolute. STAMENS inserted at the bottom of the corolla, or 

 sometimes on the receptacle, double the corolla-lobes in number, rarely quadruple, 

 very rarely equal (Maba), and then alternate with them ; filaments free, or united in 

 pairs below ; anthers introrse, 2-celled, basifixed, lanceolate, dehiscence longitudinal. 

 OVARY sessile, 3-many-celled ; style rarely simple ; stigmas simple or 2-fid ; ovules 

 solitary in each cell, or geminate, pendulous from the top of the inner angle of the 

 cell, anatropous, raphe external. BERRY globose or ovoid, more or less succulent, 

 usually few-seeded from arrest. SEEDS inverted ; testa membranous. EMBRYO axile, 

 or oblique in a cartilaginous albumen, which is twice as long as the embryo ; cotyledons 

 foliaceous, oval, nearly equal in length to the superior radicle. 



* Diospyros. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 

 * Royena. Euclea. 



Maba. 



Ebenacea were formerly united to Styracece : in both the corolla is 3-7-lobed, the stamens numerous 

 and fascicled, the ovary many-celled, the fruit fleshy, the embryo albuminous and axile, the stem arbo- 

 rescent, the leaves alternate and flowers axillary ; but Styracece differ in their racemed flowers, epigynous 

 or perigynous corolla, semi-inferior or inferior ovary, more numerous ovules, and fleshy albumen. The 

 affinity of JZbenaceee with Oleinea is founded on the hypogynous and regular corolla, many-celled ovary, 

 geminate pendulous anatropous ovules, berried fruit, straight albuminous axile embryo, and woody stem. 

 Oleinete differ in the [more or less] valvate {estivation of the corolla, fleshy albumen, and opposite leaves. 

 Ebenacece approach Ilicinece in the hypogyny and aestivation of the corolla, many 1-ovuled ovarian cells, 

 pendulous anatropous ovule, fleshy fruit, straight albuminous embryo, woody stem, and alternate leaves ; 

 but in Ilicinea the corolla is nearly polypetalous and iaostemonous ; the fruit is a drupe, the embryo is 

 minute at the top of the fleshy albumen, and the leaves are persistent. Planchon recognizes a certain 

 relationship between Ebenacece and Camelliacece : they agree in the insertion and activation of the 



