IN CEYLON. 
97 
The most perfect agreement in number and position of 
members of the staminal whorl is in Group A, where the sex 
relationship is the most complicated, and there is least 
agreement in Group D, where the sex is dioecious only. 
It would appear that the greater the departure from the 
dioecious condition, the more nearly do the male and female 
staminal whorls agree ; the dioecious condition is further from 
the hermaphrodite state than any of the Groups A, B, and C. 
From the above table we can deduce certain generalizations 
which will probably throw some light on the exact ontogene¬ 
tic relationships of the organs considered. The remarks on 
this subject are made purely in relation to the flowers of the 
Ceylon species examined, and it is possible that examination 
of other species in other countries may lead to quite contrary 
or to similar conclusions. 
Since we have classified certain species into groups 
according to their sex relationships, it will be convenient to 
adhere to the above plan in describing the staminal whorl in 
each sex group. 
We will commence with Group A, in which there are 
species having the monoecious, dioecious, and polygamous 
condition. The complicated sex relationships here existing 
show that it is possible to have on the same tree every stage 
between a perfect hermaphrodite flower and a staminate or 
pistillate flower. The hermaphrodite flower in giving rise to 
a staminate or pistillate flower must undergo abortion of 
the gynœcium and anthers respectively. In every pistillate 
flower an epipetalous ring of staminodes exists, and in every 
staminate flower a rudimentary pistil remains. Can it be 
that the unisexual flowers have been derived from the 
hermaphrodite, or vice versa ? In one species of this group, 
viz., D. hirsuta, we see that in number, form, and orientation 
the stamens of each male flower exactly agree with the 
staminodes of the female flower. Such equality in the 
staminal whorl does not occur in any other Ceylon species 
of Diospyros. The complex sexual relationships may have 
8 ( 1)4 ( 13 ) 
