192 
WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 
young branches black and smooth : on old twigs the bark is 
rather scaly and pinkish-red turning to brown when freshly 
cut. 
Leaves alternate, 190-350 mm. long, 70 mm. wide, ovate- 
lanceolate, short tapering acute apex, rounded base, pubescent 
when young, glabrous or nearly so when old, thick and 
leathery ; venation reticulate, meshes wide, not pellucid, 
lateral veins rather conspicuous below ; midrib prominent 
below, channelled above ; petiole green, cylindrical, 15 mm. 
long, 5 mm. diameter. Flowers October, ripe fruits March 
to October. 
Male inflorescence consists of a sessile cluster of 1-8 flowers 
on old twigs ; bracteole subtending each flower green, 
pubescent, tapering acuminate apex, broad base early caducous 
3 mm. long, 3 mm. wide at base. (See pi. XVI., fig. 7). 
Calyx brown, hairy ; segments 5, 4 mm. long, acute apex. 
Corolla yellow and 5-lobed ; stamens five ; pistil rudimen¬ 
tary. Fresh specimens of open flowers not seen. 
Female flowers solitary or as a sessile inflorescence ; a ring 
of 2-5 bracts at base of solitary flower, 8 mm. long, 4mm. 
wide. (See pi. XIV., fig. 6). 
Fresh material of young flowers not seen. 
Calyx green, pubescent, cupuliform ; segments 5, bluntly 
apiculate, recurved margin, slight intersegmental groove. 
Corolla yellowish-white and 5-lobed ; staminodes present. 
Pistil globose, pubescent. Fruit solitary or in groups 2-4, 
sessile or subsessile, globose with depressed apex, 90-130 mm. 
circumference, 30-50 mm. long, green, slightly hairy, long 
hairs easily detached, 10-celled ; fruiting calyx persistent to 
fruit, enlarged, segments measuring 15 mm. in length, flat¬ 
tened, densely pubescent. (See pi. XIV., fig. 7). 
Seeds 6-10 per fruit, elliptical-ovate, or rather flattened ; 
testa brown,, transversely striated, outer layer peels off 
readily ; endosperm strongly ruminate ; 23 mm. long, 15 mm. 
wide, 6 mm. thick ; embryo white, 15 mm. long. (See pi. 
XIV,, fig. 9-10). 
