654 XXXVII. EBENACEAE 



Europe and elsewhere ; in India, however, the trees are neither large nor 

 common enough to be of any great importance commercially. 



Distribution and habitat. Sparsely scattered in the forests of the 

 Deccan and Carnatic, chiefly in Kurnool and Cuddapah, scarcer farther south. 

 Bourdillon says that in Travancore it has been found only in the Anjinaud 

 valley in the north, but it may also occur on the slopes above Puliyan and 

 near Panagudi. It is a tree of the dry regions, and occurs chiefly in dry ever- 

 green forests. 



In Ceylon, according to Mr. Broun, it is most abundant in the dry zone, 

 and the richer forests are all in the northern half of the island, especially in 

 the eastern portion of the North Central Province ; it is also well represented 

 in the Northern and North-Western Provinces. Outside the dry zone it 

 occurs in the intermediate zone, and in the south of the island it penetrates 

 even into the moist zone. The best ebony is found on rocky well-drained soil, 

 usually on sandy loam with a good subsoil drainage, but at times on soil with 

 a fair proportion of clay ; it is frequently found near watercourses which are 

 dry during part of the year, but never on swampy soil. It does not grow pure, 

 but is found scattered in mixture with many other species, including Chloro- 

 xylon Swietenia, Mimusops hexandra, Nephelium Longana, Gleniea zeylanica, 

 Vitex altissima, Albizzia odoratissima, Berrya Ammonilla (on moister soils), 

 and other species of Diospyros. 



Flowering and fruiting. In Ceylon the flowers appear about March, 

 but the flowering season seems to be rather irregular ; the fruits usually ripen 

 before the north-east monsoon, that is, about September-October, but the 

 tree is said occasionally to seed twice a year. Good seed-years are somewhat 

 irregular, and the seed is hable to the attacks of weevils (Broun). 



SiLVicuLTURAL CHARACTERS. The Seedlings endure a fair amount of 

 shade, but after they have estabhshed themselves the admission of light 

 directly overhead is beneficial. Mr. Broun considers that it is best not to 

 admit too much light until the maximum height is reached, when space should 

 be given for the development of the crown. 



Rate of growth. The rate of growth is slow. Mr. Broun gives for 

 Ceylon the following average figures, which, however, he admits to be only 

 tentative : 



Girth, Corresponding age. 



ft. in. years. 



16 25 



3 75 



4 6 135 

 6 200 



6. Diospyros Chloroxylon, Roxb. Vern. Ninai, netisi, Mar. ; Ullingi, Tel. 



A large shrub or small tree, often spinescent. Bark rdugh, dark grey, 

 with small rectangular corky scales. Wood yellowish grey. This is a useful 

 fuel plant, and yields good fodder ; the fruits are edible. It is found in many 

 parts of central and southern India, extending north to Orissa, C'handa, and 

 Nasik. It is common in dry deciduous forests ; Gamble says it is common in 

 the dry evergreen forests of Cuddapah, Kurnool, North Arcot, and ('hingleput, 

 preferring laterite and sandstone hills, and is a useful fuel plant ; Haines says 

 it is common on cotton soil in North and South Chanda. 



