heartwood, and many very old trees have been felled which 

 possessed only dirty white or brownish timber, which was 

 therefore as useless as that obtained from D. Moonii. (See 

 pi. V., fig. 17.) 



The relative value of samples of calamander is determined 

 by the quantities of coloured material filling the cells ; it is 

 not due to a particular type of histological differentiation. 

 The black portions of calamander are not more durable 

 than the heartwood of D. Melanoxylon or D. Ebenum ; the 

 deep brown portions are considerably less so. The value of 

 calamander over other Diospyros woods is due to the 

 particular abundance and more general distribution of the 

 colouring materials characterizing the species. 



The percentage of fibres varies from 80-86 per cent.; 

 additional strands of parenchymatous tissue occur in the 

 xylem (cf. D. Gardneri). 



The rings of growth are inconspicuous. 



The timber of D. oocarpa and D. affinis sometimes 

 approximates to calamander in point of distribution of 

 coloured substances in the central timber. In these two 

 species, however, there is always a large proportion of useless 

 sapwood. 



Uses. In addition to the timber being used whenever 

 procurable, the ripe gummy fruits are eaten by the natives. 



Distribution endemic, rare, this species being found only 

 in the moist low-country up to 2,000 ft. The scarcity of 

 this tree is not alone due to the value put upon its timber, 

 but (a) to a curious mode of development, resulting in the 

 death of many of the germinated seeds, (6) to the very slow 

 rate of growth in the seedling and later stages ; two-year-old 

 saplings measure only 600 mm. (less than 2 feet) in height, 

 and trees over 60 years old have a circumference of 472 mm, 

 (19 inches) only, (c) to the dioecious flower system and the 

 long interval between flowering periods. 



There are a good number of trees on Hinidumkanda, and 

 ateo in the Sinha Raja forest 5 Potapitiya, Kukulu korale ; 



