1. Diosptbos.] 69. EBENACE&. [1. Symplocos. 



with a rounded base, which are permanently more or less to- 

 mentose pubescent or hairy beneath. M. fls. in pedunoled 

 tomentose simple and branched cymes with narrow-ellipsoid 

 buds ¥ long. F. solitary, the calyx, with wavy reflexed margins 

 to the short broad lobes, 1" diam. in fruit. Fr. I«l|* diam, 

 smooth and yellowish when ripe. 



One of the commonest trees throughout the area, often small in scrub 

 jungle, sometimes attains 6 ft. girth with a long clean bole in virgin forest. 

 It reproduces itself copiously from root-suckers on cultivated lands, and 

 coppices freely. Fls. May. Fr. ripens the following May. Evergreen. 



L. 4'' by 2\" to 8 7 by 5'' vary from elliptic to orbicular on the same tree 

 tip obtuse or rounded, old coriaceous with usually impressed tertiary 

 nerves and rugose appearance above, rarely glabrescent. Sec. n. 9-12 

 prs., often branched and irregular. M., Calyx funnel-shaped, acutely- 

 toothed ; St. about 16, connective pilose. Fr. solitary axillary sub-sessile, 

 globose to ovoid, densely hairy when young, 3-4-seeded. Albumen 

 ruminate. 



The black heart-wood is used for carving in the S. P . G. Mission school 

 at Chaibassa. The wood emits showers of sparks when burnt. The 

 fruit is excellent eating when just ripe. 



7. D. melanoxylon, Roxb. Is included in Wood's list 

 and said to be common in scrub juDgle. All the speci- 

 mens in the Cal. Herb, labelled D. melanoxylon from Chota 

 Nagpur appear to me to be D. tomentosa. Brandis, however, 

 unites the two in his Forest Flora and, I think, correctly. 



At Kew there is a specimen labelled D. melanoxylon collected by C. B. 

 Clarke from Ranchi 2,000 ft. dated 22nd Oct. 1873. L. ell. to very broadly- 

 elliptic 5-7" tomentose to glabrescent beneath. Sec, n. 9-10 prs. 

 Petole J-f*. The tertiary nerves are scarcely raised above, and the fact 

 that they are not depressed above appears to be the only reason for includ- 

 ing this in D. melanoxylon. 



A specimen of D. melanoxylon collected by E. Thomson in the 

 Central Provinces has elliptic-oblong leaves 12'' long and petiole under $' 

 and in nervation very closely resennbles D. variegata (see above) but is 

 very pubescent beneath. This is quite a different looking plant from the 

 Chota Nagpar specimens called D. melanoxylon. 



Fam. 70. STYRACEJB. 



1. Symplocos, L. 



Trees or shrubs with alt. ex stipulate leaves and 2-sexnal 

 regular white or yellowish flowers in axillary spikes or 



412 



