Dwspyros.] XLIX. EBENACE^:. 295 



tetramerous, sessile or nearly sessile, in short pedunculate 3-12-flowered, 

 often drooping axillary or extra-axillary cymes, bracts subulate, as well 

 as calyx and corolla densely tomentose. Stamens included, 12-16, free, 

 inserted in 1 circle on the torus. Female flowers solitary, axillary or ex- 

 tra-axillary, generally 2, opposite to each other, larger than male flowers, 

 subsessile, or on short thick peduncles. Calyx-lobes 4 or 5. Corolla 

 somewhat less than twice the length of calyx, divided at the top into 

 4-5 short, cordate, acute or shortly acuminate lobes. Staminodes 8-10 or 

 fewer, sometimes connate in pairs, at the base or higher up. Styles 2 or 

 3, bind, ovary densely hairy, 4-8-celled, 1 ovule in each cell. Fruit yel- 

 low when ripe, ovoid or globose, 1-1 J in. across, supported by the flat 

 spreading calyx-lobes, with undulating, often reflexed edges. Pulp yel- 

 low, soft, sweet, slightly astringent. Seeds 4-8, compressed, oblong, the 

 back curved, shining, brown, often marked with bands across. Albumen 

 ruminated. 



Under this species I unite D. Tupru, Buchanan; Hiern, Ebenaceae, 158; 

 and D. Melanoxylon, Eoxb. ibid. 159, comprising D. exscidpta, Hamilton 

 in Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. 110 (D. Tupru., ib. Ill), which is described with 

 3-4-flowered male peduncles, female flowers 4-5-merous, with 6 staminodia; 

 D. tomentosa, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 532, Wight Ic. t. 182, 183 (D. exsculpta, 

 Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 66), with 3-flowered male peduncles, female flowers 

 pentamerous, without staminodia. Whether D. Wightiana, Wall. ; Bedd. 

 Fl. Sylv. t. 67, should also be referred here as done by Hiern (under 

 Melanoxylon), I do not venture to decide. The figure shows numerous 

 male flowers, pentamerous female flowers with a 5-winged calyx and 10 

 staminodia. 



Common in the dry deciduous forests of the plains and lower hills, excepting 

 the arid region and the northern part of the Panjab. In the sub-Himalayan 

 tract the Ravi is its north-western limit. In Rajputana I have not found it 

 north-east of Humirgarh on the Bunass river. The leaves are shed in March- 

 April, about the time that the fruit ripens ; they are renewed soon afterwards, 

 the flowers appearing with the young leaves. Coppices well, throws out root- 

 suckers, and is very tenacious, so that it often is the last of the forest-trees which 

 disappear on land cleared for cultivation (R. Thompson). Attains 30-50 ft., 

 and 6 ft. girth. Bark ^ in. thick or more, dark grey, or blackish, rough, with 

 numerous transverse and longitudinal cracks and furrows, exfoliating in oblong 

 scales. Inner bark red. Wood whitish, with a red tinge, tough and fairly dur- 

 able, used for building, shoulder-poles, and shafts of carriages. The centre of 

 old trees generally consists of an irregularly-shaped mass of jet-black ebony 

 {abnus, batti), larger or smaller according to the age of the tree and other circum- 

 stances, and often with irregular projections. Trees, before felling, are generally 

 tested by boring into the wood to see whether the ebony in the centre is suffi- 

 ciently large. In large trees the ebony often attains a diam. of 12-18 in. Ac- 

 cording to the experiments available, the specific gravity of the ebony produced 

 by this tree fluctuates between 1.080 (Fowke), and 1.362 (Centr. Prov. List). On 

 an average it may be said that the cub. ft. weighs 75 to 80 lb. The value of 

 P. has been found 1180 (Skinner), 862 (Cunningham, Gwalior wood), and 756 

 (Fowke). Kyd and R. Thompson found the weight of (probably) the outer wood 

 49.5 and 49.6 per cub. ft., and from Kyd's experiments the value of P. of this 



