172 
WRIGHT : THE GENUS DIOSPYROS 
of unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers may be effected 
during different periods. There is also a tendency for the 
hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers to occcur in separate 
clusters, though the mixed condition in the same inflor¬ 
escence has been noticed (see pi. XI., fig. 4-6). The flowers 
are strongly aromatic, and Mr. Willis informs me that they 
are visited by many bees at Peradeniya. 
Male inflorescence arises on lower part of young shoots 
in axil of caducous bract or foliage leaf ; when the latter the 
clusters are more crowded and abundant. The bud is 
enclosed in a sheathing bract; two small bracteoles appear 
on the primary peduncle at right angles to the antero-posterior 
axis, and in the axil of each a flower appears. Each lateral 
flower becomes the median flower of another cyme, and this is 
repeated until we have a crowded dichasial cymose inflo¬ 
rescence of 7,15, or more flowers on a peduncle only 7-10 
mm. in length. The first pair of lateral flowers have pedicels 
over 2 mm. in length, but the subsequent flowers are 
subsessile along their respective axes; bract subtending 
inflorescence green, hairy, caducous, 6-10 mm. long; the 
bracteoles are much smaller, green, hairy, caducous ; flowers 
in April, fruits September-February. The inflorescence 
attains a length of 20 mm. and is Bimilar to the male of D. 
Ebenum and D. Toposia. (See pi. XI., fig. 1-2.) 
The flowers are small, white, fragrant and openly bell- 
Calyx green, total height 3 mm.; segments 3-4, pubescent 
or ciliate, rounded apex, accrescent, 1 mm. long. 
Corolla white, urceolate or campanulate, total height 8 
mm., diameter at top 8 mm.; segments 3-4, rotate, glabrous, 
rounded apex, 3 mm. long. 
Stamens irregular, 13-22, epipetalous, single or united in 
2’s or 3’s forming usually about 8-10 groups : when in pairs 
the shorter anther is innermost (cf. D. Gardneri) ; anthers 
yellow, introrse, shortly apiculate, dehiscing laterally from 
apex; filaments white, united or separate, glabrous except 
near base of anther. 
