Ebenacca—Diospyros. 289 
about 150 species, chiefly tropical, a few occurring in China 
and Japan and North America, and one in Europe. 
1. DIOSPYROS. 
This genus is by far the most numerous in species of any in 
the family. Ebony and several other valuable and handsome 
woods are furnished by this genus, and several species produce 
edible fruit. The name is from Avés, Jove’s, and aupos, grain 
or food, literally heavenly food. 
1. D. Virginidna. Persimmon.—A smull tree with some- 
what coriaceous persistent leaves and small greenish yellow 
dicecious flowers succeeded by yellow edible roundish fruits 
about l inch in diameter. This is somewhat tender, but on 
well-drained soils it will withstand our winters, though it 
rarely ripens its fruit with us. There is a specimen about 
30 feet high in the arboretum at Kew. North America. 
D. Lotus is the only European species. It has oblong 
acuminate leaves reddish beneath and purplish flowers. 
D. Kaki, the Date Plum, is a Japanese species which pro- 
duces a bright red edible fruit as large as a small apple. 
Orpen LXVI._JASMINEZ. 
Evergreen or deciduous shrubs often of trailing habit. 
Leaves opposite or rarely alternate, trifoliolate, pinnate or re- 
duced to a single leaflet articulated with the petiole. Flowers 
often highly odoriferous, yellow or white. Calyx inferior, 5- 
to 8-lobed; lobes twisted or valvate in estivation. Stamens 
2, inserted upon and included within the tube of the corolla. 
Fruit a bilobate 2-celled berry or capsule; cells 1- or few- 
seeded, There are about 6 genera and 100 species, widely 
dispersed throughout the world except North America, but 
especially abundant in Asia. 
1. JASMINUM. 
This is the only genus of the order coming within our 
province. It is characterised by having a succulent fruit. 
The species occur in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and 
Australia ; and the name is an altered form of an Arabic word 
signifying fragrant. 
1. J. officinale. Common White Jessamine.—This beautiful 
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