1ND0-MALAYAN WOODS. 545 



rather local occurrence and is usually of small size. Ii seems to fur- 

 nish the best of the ebony canes sold in .Manila. 



Ata-ata. — This is the name given to Diospyros Bpp. which have a 

 white or streaked sapwood and a dead black heart. The sapwood and 

 heartwood are not here so sharply separated as in Maba buxifolia and 

 the relative amount of heartwood is less: ata-ata seems to be of fairly 

 common occurrence from southern Luzon southward. It usually forms 

 considerably larger trees than does Maba buxifolia. 



Streaked ebonies. — These are the most beautiful woods of the group. 

 They are known as bolongeta and carnagon. 



Bolongeta. — This is produced by Diospyros pilosanthera Blanco, and. 

 probably, other Bpecies. The sapwood is pink or reddish and the heart- 

 wood black with brownish or reddish streaks. This is a. Large tree of 

 frequent occurrence and wide distribution in the Archipelago. It is used 

 for various articles of furniture and for structural work. It is sometimes 

 used for piling, hut is said to be very subject to teredo attack. If an 

 artificial seasoning method can he devised, this will he a very prominent 

 source id' commercial ebony. 



Carnagon. — This seems to he mainly the product of Diospyros dis- 

 color Willd. Next to bolongeta, it is the most commonly seen of our 

 ebonies. It is cultivated for its fruit, which is known as mabolo. The 

 sapwood is gray-mottled to purplish-gray with black spots: the heart- 

 wood is black with brownish streaks. It is not to be distinguished in 

 appearance from the Calamander wood of Ceylon. It is commonly used 

 for fancy furniture and for canes. 



Of the other ebonies, Diospyros nitida Merr. may he mentioned for 

 its uniform dull bluish-gray wood, much like the sapwood of carnagon. 

 Apparently this species does not form a distinct heartwood. It is of 

 small size and relatively infrequent occurrence. 



Other forms of ebony may occur in the Islands, hut they are certainly 

 not of commercial importance. The so-called "white ebony/' Diospyros 

 malacapai A. DC, is not well known. It may he nothing hut sapwood 

 of ata-ata or other ebonies. 



I believe that any of the above-described ebonies may. at times, pro- 

 duce the dense black form. 



Ebonies in Malaya.— Kayu arang is the name applied to those ebonies 

 of the Malay region which produce a distinct black heartwood. 



In Borneo, various species of Diospyros which do not have distinct 

 black- heartwood are known as kayu malam or mar pinang. 



Some very line huge ebony logs are produced in the Moluccas and in 

 Sumatra. Borneo does not seem to produce very much. 



Indian ebonies. — Gamble classifies the Indian ebonies as follows: 



(1) Heartwood wholly black or only slightly streaked: < Intuitu, tomentosa, 

 melanoxylon, aasim Hit. 



