PERSIMMON
Leaf, one-half natural size. Twig, three-quarters natural size.
The leaves are alternate, oval, entire, 4 to 6 inches long, dark green and shining above, paler beneath.
The small flowers, which appear in May, are yellowish or creamy white, somewhat bell-shaped, the two kinds occurring on separate trees; the male in clusters of 2 or 3, the female solitary. They are visited by many insects.
The fruit is a pulpy, round, orange-colored or brown berry, an inch or more in diameter and containing several flattened, hard, smooth seeds. It is strongly astringent while green, but quite sweet and delicious when thoroughly ripe.
The wood is hard, dense, heavy, strong, the heartwood brown or black, the wide sapwood white or yellowish. It is particularly valued for shuttles, golf-stick heads, and similar special uses, but is not of sufficient commercial use to warrant its general encouragement as a timber tree.
The Hercules’ club, Aralia spinosa L., grows to tree size in southern Illinois, with a spiny stem 25 to 30 feet tall and a flat-topped head. The doubly compound leaves are often more than 3 feet long. Its small greenish-white flowers are followed by large clusters of purple juicy berries. It is desirable for ornamental planting.
