296 XLIX. EBENACE^l. [Diospt/ros. 



wood appears to be 547. The fruit is eatable, has a pleasant taste, and afl'ords 

 an agreeable refreshment during the hot season in the dry leafless forests of the 

 Satpura range. Forsyth (Highlands of Central India, 463) mentions a cultivated 

 variety without stones. 



The best Indian ebony is the produce of D. Ebenum, Kcenig ; Hiern, 1. c. 208 ; 

 Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl. 180 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t: 65; a large tree of South India 

 and Ceylon, with glabrous, shining leaves, anthers 16-32 on 8 filaments, each 

 filament divided into 2-4 antheriferous branches, albumen not ruminated. 



D. qucesita, Thwaites Enum PI. Zeyl. 179 ; Hiern, 1. c. 174 ; Bedd. Ic. PI. 

 Ind. Or. t. 128 ; a large tree of Ceylon, furnishes the most valuable of the timber 

 known as Calamander, a beautiful wood for ornamental cabinet-work, with 

 alternate bands of brown and black, caused probably by the irregular ramifica- 

 tions of the darker-coloured heartwood. 



2. D. montana, Roxb. Cor. PL t. 48 ; Fl. Ind. ii. 538 ; Wight Ic. t. 

 1225. Syn. D. cordifolia, Roxb. Cor. PI. t. 50; Fl. Ind. 538; D. Goindu, 

 Dalz. Bombay Fl. 141 ; D. Waldemarii, Klotzsch in Reise Prinz Wald. 

 t. 55. Vern. HireJc, keindu, tem?-u, jpasendu, Pb. ; Tendu, dasaundu, 

 lohari, N.W.P. ; Bistend, Oudh; Mahar tendi, Banda; Pasend, Bhurtpur; 

 Temru, Meywar ; Ambia, Banswara ; Hddru, Panch Mehals ; Kanchan, 

 kadal (Forsyth), Patteivar, patwan (R. Thompson), C.P. 



A moderate- sized tree, pubescent or tomentose, rarely glabrate, often 

 armed with spinescent branchlets. Leaves always alternate, varying in 

 shape, oblong linear-oblong elliptic- or obovate-oblong, from a rounded or 

 cordate base, acuminate, 3-6 in. long, with 4-8 main lateral nerves on 

 either side of midrib, and several smaller intermediate ones ; petiole less 

 than \ in. long. Male flowers 2-6, sometimes more, in pedunculate, axil- 

 lary or extra- axillary^bracteate cymes, peduncle somewhat longer than 

 petiole. Calyx deeply 4-cleft, lobes ovate, obtuse, pubescent or glabrous 

 and ciliate at the edges. Corolla urceolate with 4 short lobes. Stamens 

 16, glabrous, in two series, the 8 inner shorter, opposite to the outer 

 stamens, and connate with them at the base ; anthers longer than fila- 

 ments, more or less cuspidate, somewhat exserted. Female flowers solitary, 

 axillary, larger than male flowers, nodding, pedicels as long as, or some- 

 what longer than petiole, with 2 small bracts at the apex. Calyx deeply 

 4-cleft, lobes ovate, pubescent or glabrous. Staminodes 4, 8, or 12, in 

 one series. Ovary glabrous, 8-celled, 1 ovule in each cell. Fruit globose, 

 |-1J in. diam., supported by the enlarged leathery calyx. Seeds 2-8, 

 albumen not ruminated. 



Common, but not gregarious, in most parts of India, excepting Sindh and the 

 northern part of the Panjab. In the sub-Himalayan tract the Ravi is its north- 

 western limit. It is found in Harriana, in the plains to the west of Delhi, in 

 the public forest (Ghunna) near Bhurtpur, and in the Gangrar forest between 

 Humirpur and Chitor (Meywar). Planted in Central Sindh (J. L. S.) Leaves 

 renewed Feb.-March ; fl. March-May ; the fruit ripens in the ensuing cold 

 season. 



Generally 20-30, occasionally 50 ft. high, with an erect, not very straight, 

 omewhat angular trunk. Girth 3-4, at times 5 ft. ; branches lax, wide-spread- 



