( 17 ) 



subsessile, green, glabrous, ovate, tapering apex, broad base- 

 size 26-38 mm. long, and 12-19 mm. wide, palisade tissue 

 developed early ; hypocotyl creamy-white, turning black, 

 50-60 mm. long. Epicotyledonary stem does not appear 

 for several weeks or months after full exposure of cotyle- 

 dons ; when bearing three leaves it is about 15 mm. long. 



The lowest epicotyledonary leaf is always very small, 

 ovate, with broad apex ; this serves to distinguish the young 

 seedling from those of D. montana. The first pair of epi- 

 cotyledonary leaves are at different levels but in the same 

 plane, cutting that of the cotyledons at right angles ; traces 

 2 per cotyledon, cotyledonary xylem may or may not 

 become diffused ; 1 trace per epicotyledonary leaf, which 

 is not continued into the root. 



Timber. The wood from this species supplies the greater 

 part of Ceylon ebony ; that sold as bastard ebony may 

 come from this species or from D. oocarpa, D. affinis, &c. 

 D. Melauoxylon affords an equally good black heartwood. 

 The ebony in the stem may increase from below upwards 

 or may repeatedly increase and decrease in volume along 

 the length of individual trees. Ebony has been noticed in 

 saplings and in very small two year old twigs and even 

 in roots. 



The timber is jet black or streaked, very hard and heavy, 

 jmd takgs a good polish ; the density is very high, an(L 

 According to Hi em the seasoned wood weighs 81 Ib. per . 

 cubic foot, and the unseasoned 90 to 100 Ib. During the 

 last five years no less than 2,635 tons have been sold in 

 Colombo, realizing over 22,000. 



The central black wood is usually obtained byjrutting a-way 



>.h A Mvlr\ ] to. p,p wood. If the tree is allowed to lie on the ground 



for many months the white wood is removed by ants ; 



occasionally wood borers eat into the hard black wood. As 



to yield of black heartwood per tree, Mr. Broun states that 



fifteen trees, varying in girth from 6 to 12 feet, gave a gross 



volume of 1,208 cubic feet, out of which only 282 cubic feet 



8(10)04 (3) 



