CXXXIX. CYKILLE^E. 539 



corolla, numerous stamens, coherent filaments, many-celled ovary, pendulous anatropous ovules, fleshy 

 fruit, albuminous embryo (of many genera), woody stem, alternate leaves, and often unisexual axillary 

 flowers ; but in Camelliacete the corolla is polypetalous or sub-polypetalous, and the stamens are very 

 numerous. 



Ebenacea grow in the tropical [and sub-tropical] regions of Asia, South Africa, Australia and 

 America ; they are rare in the Mediterranean region. Ebenacece are less noticeable for the beauty of their 

 flowers and the utility of their fruits or seeds than for the hardness and colour of their wood. Ebony ia 

 the product of Diospyros Ebenum, melanoxylon, Ebenaster, tomentosa, Sec. [The best is the Mauritian, 

 \ielded by D. reticulata ; the next best that from the D. Ebenum^} The heart-wood of these trees is usually 

 perfectly black, though sometimes marked with fawn-coloured lines ; and its grain is so fine that when 

 it is polished no trace of woody fibre is perceptible. It is white when young, and darkens with age ; the 

 colour of the alburnum contrasting with that of the heart- wood. Some species of Diospyros have edible 

 berries, as the D. Lotus of the Mediterranean region, D. Virginiana [the Persimon or Date Plum of the 

 United States], and D. Kaki [of Japan and China], which are cultivated in the open air in European 

 gardens, and the latter of which is much esteemed in China for its berries, which when mellow will bear 

 comparison with our best apricots. [.D. quesita, of Ceylon, yields the beautiful Calamander wood. The 

 glutinous juice of the fruit of D. Embryopteris is extensively employed in caulking boats and coating 

 fishing nets in India ; it yields a powerful astringent used for tanning purposes. A spirituous liquor is 

 distilled from the fruits of D. Viryiniana, the bark of which is a bitter febrifuge. ED.] 



CXXXIX CYRILLECE. 







South American SHRUBS. LEAVES alternate, membranous, entire, exstipulate. 

 FLOWERS in terminal or axillary racemes. CALYX 5-fid or -partite. PETALS 5, 

 slightly united at the base, and with the filaments inserted on the receptacle, 

 aestivation contorted to left or right, sometimes convolute. STAMENS 5 or 10, 

 inserted with the petals ; filaments subulate, dilated below the middle ; anthers in- 

 trorse, 2-celled, dehiscence longitudinal. OVARY free, [not inserted on a disk], 2-4- 

 celled ; style short ; stigma of 2 acute lobes, or sessile, peltate and obscurely 4-lobed ; 

 ovules 1 or more in each cell, pendulous. FRUIT either a fleshy 2-celled 2-valved 

 1-2- seeded capsule (Cyrilla)^ or a nearly dry drupe with 4 wings, 4 cells and 4 seeds 

 (Cliftonia]. SEEDS inverted. EMBRYO straight, cylindric, in the axis of a fleshy 

 albumen ; radicle superior. 



GENERA. 



Cyrilla. Cliftonia. Elliottia. 



Cyrillece approach Ericinecc in their hypogynous isostemonous or diplostemonous corolla, their con- 

 torted (estivation, many-celled ovary with pendulous ovules, usually capsular fruit, albuminous axile 

 embryo, woody stem and alternate leaves ; the principal difference is in their anthers being normal in 

 structure. The same characters connect them with IliuinecK, which have besides, as in Cyrilla, the petals 

 connected at the base by the stamens, normal anthers, and drupaceous fruit j but in Cyrilla the flowers 

 are racemed, and the embryo more elongated. 



Finally, Cyrillece may be compared with Pittosparete : both have five hypogynous and isostemonous 

 petals, a many-celled ovary, a capaular or fleshy fruit, a woody stem and alternate leaves; but in Pitto- 

 gporeee the ovules are ascending, and the embryo is minute. [CyriNea are all natives of the Southern 

 States of North America, and have no known uses. ED.] 



