94 
WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 
unicellular hairs, as in the anthers of perfect stamens from 
the male flowers. 
In point of number the staminodes are, compared to the 
stamens of the male, very few. Usually the number is the 
same as that of the corolla or calyx segments. The series 
alternate with the corolla lobes when the number of members 
of both these whorls is the same, as in the four staminodes 
of D. oppositifolia, D. sylvatica, and D. Embryopteris, and 
the five staminodes in D. acuta, D. Thwaitesii, and D. hirsuta. 
When the staminodes are an exact multiple of the corolla 
segments they are disposed opposite to and alternate with 
them, as in the twelve staminodes of D. Melanoxylon, and 
the eight staminodes of D. Gardneri and D. Ebenum. 
When the number of the calyx and corolla segments varies 
the number of staminodes usually shows exactly the same 
numerical variations, as in D. insignis, D. attenuata, and D. 
aflinis, where the flowers may have their parts in fours and 
fives, and even threes. 
In D. Toposia there seems to be an erratic number of 
twelve to sixteen staminodes arranged either epipetalous or 
hypogynous. 
Pistil .—The pistil is represented in the male flowers of 
polygamous trees by a central, hairy, apiculate, or flattened 
disc ; in female flowers it is sub-globose or ovoid in shape, 
green, and glabrous or hairy ; in D. Embryopteris and D. 
pruriens the carpellary wall is covered with a dense layer 
of multi- and uni-cellular hairs which persist in the fruit ; 
the stigmas are green and sessile ; the ovary is four-, eight-, 
or ten-celled ; the ovules are pendulous from the -top of each 
cell of the ovary. 
The relation of the Staminal Whorl in Male and Female 
Flowers .—A staminode is similar in form and size to a stamen, 
and differs from it mainly in that its anther is barren. It 
may be possible to derive one from the other, and with this 
object in view I have drawn up a table showing the number 
and orientation of the members of the staminal whorls for 
each species. 
