2 
WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 
description of each species. In Part I. the following arrange¬ 
ment has been adopted :— 
I.—History. 
II.—Distribution in Ceylon. 
III.—Vegetative Characters. 
IV.—Anatomy : Timber Properties, &c. 
V.—Seedlings. 
VI.—Reproductive Organs. 
VII.—Affinity. 
I.—HISTORY. 
Diospyros is the largest and most important genus of the 
Ebenaceæ, and since most papers dealing with this order 
contain a description of many of our species, it is necessary 
to trace the history of the literature on the whole subject to 
gain a better grasp of the general bearing of the particular 
species with which we are concerned. 
The accumulation of knowledge regarding the Ebenaceæ 
has not been rapid, probably on account of the difficulty of 
obtaining representative material of a natural order so widely 
spread, and also in virtue of the comparatively unattractive 
nature of this group of plants. Though in 1753 Linnæus 
published the names of a few species, no work of a repre¬ 
sentative kind was published until that of Hiern in 1873. 
During that interval the work consisted mainly of collecting 
and describing species, remarking on fossil forms and 
affinities, and discussing the ebony yielded by this group 
of plants. 
It was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century 
that any internal characters were used for systematic purposes, 
but since that time the majority of contributions have dealt 
extensively with the internal or microscopical construction 
of the vegetative parts. The only lines of study which have 
hitherto been neglected are those connected with the develop¬ 
ment and anatomy of the embryos and seedlings. 
