NEW OK XOTKWOUTHY I'HILIl'l'IXK PLANTS, VII. 305 



EBENAC^E.ll 



DIOSPYROS Linn. 



Diospyros ahernii s|i. iiov. 



Arl)()r glabra intioresceiitiis I'rnetibusqiie exceptis; ramis pallidis, 

 griseis vel bruniieis ; foliis siiLcoriaceis, oblongis, 16 ad 20 cm longis, 

 apice acuminatis, basi aeutis vcl leviter acumiiiatis, in sieeo l)riinneis. 

 iitrinqiie nitidis, nervis utrinque circiter 8, prominentibus, anastoniosan- 

 tibus, nervis retieulisqne densis. validis; infloreseentiis femineis axiHa- 

 ribus, raeemosis, }niljeseentibns ; fructibus ut videtur globosis, circiter 5 cm 

 diametro, obtusis vel apiculatis, extus densissime ferrugineo-velutinis vel 

 pubescentibiis, calycis lobis 4, accrescentibus, plus mimis connatis, dense 

 ferruginoo-pubescentibns, patnlis vel reflexis, vix imbricatis, acuminatis, 

 1 ad 1.5 cm longis. 



A tree, glabrous except tbe infloresence. Brandies usually pale, liglit- 

 gray or lu'ownisb, glaln'ous, tbe ultimate branchlets sometimes somewbat 

 ferruginous-pubescent. Leaves subcoriaceous, oblong, IG to 20 cm long, 

 4.5 to 7 cm wide, glabrous and shining on both surfaces, usually brown 

 when dry, the a})ex distinctly acuminate, base acute oi- somevfhat acu- 

 minate ; nerves about 8 on each side of the midrib, distinct, anastomosing, 

 the secondary nerves and reticulations distinct, close. Flowers unknown, 

 l.)ut the pistillate inflorescence axillar}^ racemose, densely pubescent, tbe 

 racemes in fruit 1.5 to 3 cm long, usually bearing but one or two fruits, 

 tbe pedicels stout, about 5 mm long. Fruit apparently globose, about 

 5 cm in diameter, rounded or apiculate, outside densely ferruginous- 

 velvety when young, pubescent when old, about 5-celled. Calyx per- 

 sistent, accrescent, spreading in young fruits, refiexed in mature ones, 

 3 to 4 cm in diameter, 4-lobed, the lobes united for the lower third, ovate, 

 coriaceous, acuminate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, densely ferruginous-pubescent. 



Luzon, Province of Rizal, Bosoboso, For. Bur. 3071 Ahcni's collector. May,, 

 1905; Pilea-, Bur. 8ci. 3298 Ramos. June, 1907. botli witli immature fruits: 

 Province of Tayabas, Lucban, Elmer UllO. May, 1907. distriljiited as Diospyros 

 discolor Willd. 



A very di.stinct species, possibly allied to D. discolor Willd., but at once distin- 

 guisbed by its glabious leaves and its connate acuminate calyx lobes which are 

 not at all imbricate but spreading or reflexed, while its general appearance is 

 quite difl'erent from Wildenow's sjiecies. The specimen collected by Elmer prob- 

 ably had nearly mature fruits, but the sheet before me has only some fragments 

 of the fruit, so that it is impossible to give a full description at the present 

 time. It is kno^^^l in Rizal Province as Talotig-gubat. 



Diospyros buxifolia (Blunie) Hiern Monog. Eben. (1873) 21S. 



Leucoxylum bitxifolium Blume Bijdr. (1826) 1169; Choisy Mem. Ternstr. 

 (1855) 43, t. 2; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. 2 (1858) 1050. 



Diospyros ynicropliylla Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. (1871) 27, t. 133; Clarke in Hook, 

 f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 3 (1882) 559; King & Gamble in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 74= 

 (1905) 210. 



