( 25 ) 



He wessa, but nowhere else. It grows in rich clayey soil, and 

 often accompanies D. acuta. When not in flower or fruit it is 

 very difficult to distinguish from small trees of D. Thwaitesii. 

 Trees with trunks only 25 mm. diameter bear flowers 

 and fruits. Solitary trees are rarely met with in some 

 forests, there being a tendency for them to occur in clumps 

 of 1-7 ; this must be due to some difficulty in transference 

 of seeds; the seeds come up very freely in the forest, the 

 primary root forming a straight axis which pierces the 

 attenuate apex of the fruit and soon establishes itself. 



. Diospyros acuta, Thw. Enum. Ceyl. PI., p. 182, n. 17 

 (1860). 



Thw. Enum. 182. C. P. 3,476. PI. B. Ind. III., 501. 

 Hiern, Mon. Eben. 182. 



A small tree, largest measuring 102 mm. diameter (4 inches) 

 and height 10*6 metres (35 feet), flowers when only 

 25-75 mm. diameter, evergreen, monoecious only ; bark 

 black, when freshly cut is red in colour. Leaves alternate, 

 120-250 mm. long. 30-70 mm. wide, narrowly lanceolate- 

 oblong, tapering gradually to an obtuse or acute apex, 

 narrowing at base, glabrous, very thick, deep green above, 

 pale green below ; venation reticulate but only feebly 

 pellucid, lateral veins never project on either side ; petiole 

 stout, slightly channelled above, 25 mm. long ; when not 

 in flower or fruit very difficult to distinguish from D 

 Moonii. Flowers and fruits September to December. 



The sex is only met with in the monoecious state ; the 

 clusters in the axil of a particular leaf usually possess all male 

 or all female flowers ; the female clusters seem characteristic 

 of the younger leaves towards the end of the twigs (cf. D. 

 Ebenum ; D. oppositifolia). 



Thwaites remarks that the flowers are sometimes monoe- 

 cious, female above, male below. 



The male inflorescence consists of sessile clusters of 1-7 

 flowers. The bract subtending each flower is green, 

 caducous, pubescent with tapering apex, 5 mm. wide at base 



