Diospyrus. POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA. ‘531 
PHRODITE, solitary, sub-sessile with calyx and corol five- 
cleft. Styles three or four. Berry with as many as eight 
seeds. é 
 Tumballi of the Tamuls. 
Tindoo of the Hindoos. 
Coromandel Ebony-tree. 
Tumida of the Telingas. 
The Ebony tree is a native of most woody mountainous 
countries in India, viz. Ceylon, Malabar, Coromandel, 
Orissa, &c. It grows to be very large, particularly the 
male tree; the wood of this sort is also more esteemed. 
Leaves deciduous in the cold season; the new ones’ “ap- 
pear with the flowers in April and May. : ' 
Trunk tolerably straight in large trees, from twenty 
to twenty-five feet to the branches, and about eight or 
‘ten in circumference. Bark scabrous, or deeply crack- 
“ed, somewhat spongy, colour a mixture of grey and black, 
in irregular strata. Branches very irregular, numerous, 
rigid, forming a large spreading, shady head; young shoots 
_-yery downy. Leaves nearly opposite, short-petioled, ob- 
long, entire, obtuse, when young very downy, when old 
pretty smooth ; about four inches long, and one and a 
‘half broad. Stipules none. 
Mae Pepunc tes axillary, single, short, bearing three 
‘or four small whitish flowers, supported by short bowing 
pedicels. Bréctes a small one at the insertion of each 
pedicel, and one or two, still smaller pressing the calyx. 
‘Calyx and corel as in the genus. Filaments generally 
twelve or thirteen, short, inserted into a — 
Anthers linear, erect. Pistil none. 
‘HerMaAPHRoODITE FLOWERS rather larger than the 
male, axillary, single, nearly sessile. Bractes, a small one 
pressing the calyx. Calyx always five-cleft, downy. Co- 
rol five-cleft. Filaments about ten, short, inserted into a 
‘Teceptacle between ‘the germ and flower. Anthers small, 
Seemingly sterile: — Styles three, eis: rn: 
Oo02 
