476 FOREST CULTURE AND 
all soils and situations, supplying there the place of 
trifolium and medicago, 
Dioscorea quinqueloba, Thunberg. —Japan, and 
there one of several yam plants with edible tubers. 
Among numerous congeners are mentioned as provid- 
ing likewise root vegetables: D. Piperifolia, Hum- 
boldt, from Quito, D. esurientum, Fenzl, from Gua- 
temala, D. tuberosa and D. conferta, Vellozo, from 
south Brazil, D. Cayennensis, Lamarck, from tropical 
South America, D. triphylla, Linné, from tropical 
Asia, D. deltoidea, Wallich, from Nepaul. Of these 
and many other species the relative quality of the 
roots and the degree of facility of their field cultiva- 
tion require to be more fully ascertained. 
Diospyros Ebenum, Retzius.*— Ceylon, where it 
furnishes the best kind of ebony wood. It is not un- 
common up to 5,000 feet in that island, according to 
Dr. Thwaites, hence I would recommend this large 
and valuable tree for test plantations in East Gipps 
Land, and in other lowland forest regions of our 
colony, where also D. quesita, and D. oppositifolia 
Thwaites, the best Calamander trees, and D. Melan- 
oxylon, should be tried. Many other species of Dio- 
spyros could probably be introduced from the moun- 
tains of various tropical regions, either for the sake 
of their ebony-like wood or their fruit. 
Diospyros Lotus, Linné.—From Northern China to 
the Caucasus. The ordinary Date Plum. The sweet 
fruits of this tree, resembling black cherries, are edi- 
ble, and also used for the preparation of syrup. The 
wood, like that of D. chloroxylon, is known in some 
places as Green Ebony ; it must, however, not be con- 
founded with others, such as are furnished by some 
species of Exczecaria, Nectandra, and Jacaranda, 
