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The Genus Diospyros in Ceylon : its 



Morphology, Anatomy, and Taxonomy 



HERBERT WRIGHT. 



^ Part I. 



npHE original portion of this paper deals exclusively with 



% '-*- the genus Diospyros, L., as represented in Ceylon by 



some twenty species, of which Trimen remarks : " Very little 



is known about many of our species, which are rare or local in 



the forests of the wet region and seem to flower but seldom. 



The native Sinhalese names are vaguely applied or very local, 



and refer more to the wood than to the trees themselves ; and 



t one is rarely able to obtain both wood and herbarium speci- 



v mens from the same tree, in which way alone it is possible 



<V to be justified in definitely deciding the source of the former. 



<^ The various rare mottled cabinet- woods, which appear to be 



produced only by very old trees, and are known as calaman- 



der (kalu-mediriya, wal-mediriya, ho-mediriya, &c.), have 



mostly yet to be referred to their respective species." In 



view of this lack of definite knowledge and the commercial 



value of ebony, calamander, and other timbers, the present 



investigation, which has occupied much time during the last 



three years, both in the forests and in the laboratory, was 



undertaken. 



The present contribution is divided into two parts, the first 

 part containing a general statement of, and a discussion on, 

 the various subjects investigated ; the second part a detailed 



[Aunals of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, Vol. II., Pt. I., January, 1904.] 



8(1)4 (1) 



291989 



