EBENACEAE 3g3 



Species about 30, tropics of both hemispheres, 2 or 3 in the Philippines, 

 a single introduced one in our area. 



*1. M. JBLENGI L. Bansalaguin (Tag.). 



A tree up to 15 m in height. Leaves green, shining, elliptic, shortly 

 blunt-acummate, glabrous, 5 to 12 cm long, the nerves slender, numerous, 

 spreading. Flowers axillary, solitary, in pairs or fascicled, about 1.5 

 cm m diameter, fragrant, the pedicels and sepals brownish-pubescent. 

 Sepals 8, 2-seriate, ovate-lanceolate, 7 to 8 mm long. Corolla-lobes lan- 

 ceolate, about 24, white, 2-seriate, the outer series with about 16 lobes, 

 the inner with 8. Stamens 8, filaments hairy, the alternating staminodes 

 hairy. Ovary pubescent. Fruit ovoid, about 2 cm long, 1-, rarely 2-seeded. 

 (Fl. Filip. pi. 105.) 



Occasionally cultivated for its fragrant flowers, introduced from India; 

 fl. at intervals throughout the year. A closely allied form is common 

 especially near the seashore throughout the Philippines, to which the Ta- 

 galog name bansalaguin properly belongs. 



2. ACHRAS Linnaeus 



A tree, nearly j^labrous, except the flowers. Leaves petioled, somewhat 

 crowded near the apices of the branches, coriaceous, shining, the nerves 

 slender. Flowers axillary, pedicelled, mostly solitary in the uppermost 

 axils. Calyx-segments 6, in 2 series. Corolla-lobes 6, imbricate. Stamens 

 6, affixed near the base of the corolla; staminodes 6, petal-like, alternating 

 with the corolla-lobes. Ovary villous, 10- to 12-celled. Fruit ovoid, brown, 

 fleshy, edible, the seeds few, rather large, black, shining. (Old Greek 

 name for a kind of wild pear.) 



A monotjrpic genus of Central America and the West Indies. 



*1. A. SAPOTA L. Chico (Sp.-Fil.). 



A much-branched tree reaching a height of 8 m. Leaves oblong to 

 narrowly oblong-obovate, acute or shortly acuminate, base acute, 8 to 13 

 cm long. Flowers rusty-pubescent outside, 6 to 8 mm long. Fruit ovoid or 

 subglobose, brown, fleshy, 3 to 5 cm long, the soft, rather sweet pulp edible. 

 (Fl. Filip. pi. 85.) 



Commonly cultivated for its edible fruit, fl. most of the year. Introduced 

 from Mexico by the Spaniards at an early date and now found in all parts 

 of the Archipelago. Tropics generally in cultivation. 



111. EBENACEAE (Ebony or Camagon Family) . 



Trees or shrubs with alternate, exstipulate, entire, usually coriaceous 

 leaves. Flowers usually dioecious, axillary, solitary, fascicled or in short 

 cymes, the pedicels jointed under the flower. Flowers 3- to 5-merous. 

 Calyx-lobes united below, often enlarged in fruit. Corolla-tube cylindric, 

 usually pubescent outside, the lobes spreading or recurved. Stamens as 

 many as the corolla-lobes, or 2 or 3 times as many, hypogynous, free or 

 the filaments variously united, the female flowers with or without stamen- 

 like staminodes. Ovary superior, free, sessile, 3- to 10-celled; styles 1 to 8; 

 cells 1- or 2-ovuled. Fruit fleshy or coriaceous, globose or ovoid, indehiscent, 

 few- to several-seeded. 



Genera 7, species 325, in the tropics and some temperate countries in 

 both hemispheres, 2 genera and about 40 species in the Philippines. 



