n8 THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF WOOD. 



Persimmon. Diospyros virginiana Linn. 



Nomenclature. (Sudworth.) 



Persimmon (local and com- Simmon, Possumwood (Fla.). 



mon name). Plaqueminier (La.). 



Date Plum (N. J., Tenn.). 



Locality. 



Connecticut to Florida, westward intermittently to Missouri and 

 Texas. 



Features of Tree. 



Occasionally seventy feet in height, one to two feet in diameter. 

 Soft plum-like fruit, astringent when green, sweet when ripe. 



Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood. 



Heartwood dark-brown or black, sapwood light-brown, often 

 with darker spots. Very thin heartwood. Very close-grained, 

 compact structure. Medullary rays conspicuous. Resembles 

 hickory. 



Structural Qualities of Wood. 

 Hard, heavy, strong. 



Representative Uses of Wood. 



Plane-stocks, shoe-lasts, etc. Prized for shuttles. 



Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot. 



49- 

 Modulus of Elasticity. 



1,110, ooo. 

 Modulus of Rupture. 



12,400. 



Remarks. 



The astringency of unripe fruit is due to tannic acid. The dried 

 and roasted seeds have been used for coffee.* Heartwood is 

 not greatly developed in trees under one hundred years of age. 



* U. S. Dispensatory. 



Ebony. This name applies to several hard, black woods, that 

 are used in inlaid work, for the black keys of pianos and other special 

 purposes. Ebony is derived from several species of the genus Dios- 

 pyros that are native in Ceylon and Southern India. Jamaica ebony 

 is afforded by Bijra ebemis. There are other sources. 



