( 45 ) 



Staminodes indefinite 8-10-12, rarely epipetalous, when 

 12 in number they are opposite and alternate to calyx 

 segments ; anthers reddish-brown, barren, apiculate, gla- 

 brous, 1'5 mm. long ; filaments yellowish-white, glabrous. 

 2'5 mm. long. 



Pistil green, globose, densely pubescent ; stigmas 4, green, 

 hairy, and fleshy ; ovary globose, 7 mm. long, 4 mm. diame- 

 ter ; 4-6-celled, but orientation of loculi very irregular; 

 ovules usually disposed at right angles to the plane of antero- 

 posterior axis and this apparently in consequence of pressure. 



Fruit solitary, green, globose-apiculate with few persist- 

 ent hairs, 40 mm. high, 30 mm. diameter, 2-4-celled : 

 fruiting calyx slightly enlarged, 25 mm. diameter, pubes- 

 cent, reflexed and undulated margin, small intersegmental 

 groove ; acute apex of segment remains in contact with 

 carpellary wall. (See pi. VIII., fig. 7). 



Seeds 1-4 per fruit, oval-wedge shape, 21 mm. long, 10 

 mm. wide, 8 mm. thick; testa reddish-brown; endosperm 

 copious, horny, ruminate ; embryo white, 15 mm. long. 



Seedlings, None of the seeds germinated, but from a study 

 of the embryo the following points were made out : Traces 

 three per cotyledon, epicotyledonary traces prominent and 

 distinguishable in the resting embryo. The seedlings are 

 very probably of the ordinary epigeal type with cotyledons 

 which become detached at an early stage. 



Ti/nber. This species is one of the main sources of Indian 

 ebony, possessing very durable black or streaked heartwood. 

 It is. spoken of as Coromandel wood by Dr. Watt (Econ. 

 Prod.) and it is difficult to understand why Trimen (Fl. 

 Ceyl., p. 99) refers to it as inferior to that of D. Ebenum. 

 The majority of the trees still in Ceylon are certainly small 

 and cannot yield much good heartwood. In one large tree 

 rrunk 320 mm. diameter the black heartwood measured 120 

 mm. in diameter ; in another stem 270 mm. diameter, the 

 heartwood measured 110 mm. diameter a proportion which 

 compares favourably with D. Ebenum. (See pi. I., fig. 5). 



