2. DiosPYROS.] 85. EBENACE^. 



fruiting calyx 1" diani., with wavy reflexed margins to the short 

 broad lobes. 



One of the commonest trees throughout the Central and Southern Areas (I have 

 no record of its occurrino^ in the Northern Area nor does Hamilton record it from 

 Purneah ; it appears to end abruptly at the Gaya ghats) both in scrub-]vmgles 

 and high-forest. Fl. May. Fruit ripens the following May. Deciduous or ever- 

 green according to locality. It flowers on the new shoots. 



Attains G ft. in girth with a long clean bole in some saddles of the Singbhum 

 mountains. Bark black, rough, often in oblong plates, blaze chrome-yellow, h. 

 vary from 2-5" in width and from ell. to orbicular on the same branch, tip obtuse 

 or rounded or subacute, base usually acute in form mela)wxylov, rounded m form 

 tomentom, old with a rugose appearance above with impressed nerves m form 

 fomentom, nerves often raised in melanoxi/lon, sec. n. about 8-12 branched and 

 irreaiilar or forked and reticulate some distance from margin and very reticulate 

 between. Petiole •25--3o". Male cymes (including peduncle) ■6--9" long, sometimes 

 from axils of caducous scale-leaves on lower part of new shoots, calyx campanulate 

 •17--2" long.Avith acute or subacute lobes half as long as tube or less, stamens 12-16. 

 Fruit densely hairy when young, when ripe usually 3-4-seeded rarely only 1-2- or 

 5-S-seeded. testa rugose shining, albumen ruminate. . . 



AVell-grown trees^ften yield considerable pieces of pure black ebony audit is 

 used in Chaibassa for carving. Poles are largely used for native houses. When 

 burnt the wood emits showers of sparks. The fruit is excellent and as one-seeded 

 berries occur it would probably repay cultivation. The reproduction by root- 

 suckers from anv piece of root left in the ground makes it difficult to eradicate in 

 new cultivation ' and suitable for purposes of re-afforestation. It is also easily 

 grown from seed and coppice. Gamble gives the weight of the wood as about 68 

 lbs. for heartwood. 



9. D. Yariegata, iTur^? 



A tree sviperficially rather resembling- D. embryopteris with smooth 

 bark, very large oblong or elliptic-oblong leaves mostly 10" by 3-75", 

 easily distinguished by the prominent 7-8 sec. n. raised beneath, first 

 spreading then more or less arched, nervules raised and reticulate, 

 quite glabrous Avith sub-obtuse or cuneate base. 



Ravines in the Rajmahal Hills but only once found by me ! Fl., Fr. ?. 



Blaze pink, twigs rather pustular with lenticels. Leaf-buds narrow, pointed, 

 silky as in emhrt/opferis. L. shortly acuminate, shining above, petiole "-l". Fruiting 

 peduncle -2", remaining after fall of calyx and fruit (as in D. ^ylvaiica and many 

 other Diogpi/ros). The male flowers of i>. variegata are described as in very short 

 sparingly puljescent cymes with a salver-shaped corolla nearly glabrous without 

 and witli about 16 stamens. 



Our specimen exactly matches specimens of D. variegata m the Calcutta 

 Herbarium from Assam. 



10. D. discolor, Willd. 



A handsome tree with oblong leaves about 9' long, easily recognised 

 by being densely silvery-silky beneath with numerous slender sec. n. 

 Fls. white -5" diam. in short dense cymes axillary and pseudo- 

 terminal, SAveet-smelling with very large anthers. Fruit large red 

 velvety. 



In gardens in Ranchi ! Fl. April. Fr. Dec. Native of the Philippines. 



11. D. kaki, L., Persimon, is a small tree allied to J>. embryopteris, also sometimes 

 seen in cultivation, with ovate leaves, m. fls. in small 3-fld. cymes, solitary 

 fem. fls. -.i- 5" long and a globose edible fruit 1-3" diam., reddish or yellow or 

 scarlet when ripe. It is eaten. 



Persimon is also the name of an American Dio»pyros (Z>. virginiana, L.) 

 which is very closely allied. 



520 



