WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 
montana and D. ovalifolia become partially leafless every 
year in the dry northern districts of Ceylon. 
In Ceylon the leaves of most species of Diospyros drop 
at irregular intervals, and if one tree be selected for observa¬ 
tion there is hardly a week passes without a shedding of a 
few leaves. The leaf-fail in most species is not sufficient to 
render the tree even partially bare, and the nett result of the 
leaf production, which repeatedly occurs, is an increase of 
foliage from year to year. The production of new leaves 
takes place during nearly every month of the year, if one 
considers the whole of the Diospyros species in the Island. 
If, however, one selects a district where the force of each 
monsoon and the intervening lulls is felt, a regularity in the 
leaf production is noticeable. 
In the Peradeniya district these is an annnal prodnetion 
Of led m flowering trees of D. Gardner!, D. Embryopteris, 
D. Ebennin, D. afflnis, D. Tdposia, D. sylvatica, and D. 
crntnenata. In non-flowering trees of D. Embryopteris 
dnrin 18 “ Pr ° f new *«* yearly, this occorring 
November* “ * ^ *» - ^tober Z 
The production of new leaf on »nv n..+i 1 
completed within one «« „ it ** 
ssasrarjSsas 
borto June, and again in trJ! n P ° m Decem - 
on m the months of February and March 
hirsota and ”'*** 
