DIOSPYROS 655 



The flowers appear in June-July, and the fruits ripen from January to 

 April. The fruit is globose, smooth, shining, 0-3 in. in diameter, with 2-3 seeds. 

 The seeds have a high percentage of fertility, and tests at Dehra Dun gave 

 a fertility of 80 per cent, mth seeds kept for one year. Experimental plots 

 at Dehra Dun showed that under natural conditions germination starts early 

 in the rainy season, and that, as in the case of D. Melanoxylon and D. montana, 

 if the seed is not buried, the young taproot may creep along the surface of the 

 ground for some time in its efforts to penetrate the soil. In this case if exposed 

 to the sun the seedling soon perishes, but under shade it may remain alive 

 and vigorous ; seedlings with two well developed foliage leaves have been 

 observed with their taproots still creeping along the surface of the ground and 

 developing lateral rootlets, although not yet established in the soil. The seed- 

 hngs are capable of standing a considerable amount of shade and of persisting 

 under grass ; they orchnarily reach a height of 4-6 in. in the first season. 

 The tree produces root-suckers. 



7. Diospyros montana, Roxb., incl. D. cordifolia, Roxb. Vern. Bistendu, 

 Hind. ; Tembhurni, Mar. ; Vakkanai, Tam. ; Chok, Burm. 



A small to moderate-sized, very variable, deciduous tree, often spinescent. 

 Nowhere very common, but widely distributed in deciduous forests throughout 

 the greater part of India and in Burma (var. cordifolia only). The wood does 

 not furnish any black heartwood. The flowers appear from March to June, 

 and the fruits ripen from December to February (northern India), but the 

 fruiting season appears to vary ; Bourdillon (Travancore) and Talbot (Bombay) 

 say the rainy season. On three occasions I have received fresh seeds from the 

 Central Provinces in June- July. The fruit is globose or ovoid, 0-7-1 -2 in. 

 in diameter, greenish yellow, turning black. The seeds are 0-6-1 -1 in. by 

 0-4-0-5 in., brown, compressed ; the percentage of fertility is high. 



Under natural conditions the seed germinates early in the rainy season, 

 and if it lies unburied the taproot may crawl along the surface of the ground 

 for some time before it succeeds in penetrating the soil, as in the case of D. 

 Melanoxylon and D. Chloroxylon. Under these conditions, if exposed to the 

 sun, the germinating seedlings are liable to perish, but under shade they persist 

 for some time until the taproot eventually establishes itself. Grass and weed- 

 growth also act as an efficient protection during germination. The seedlings 

 are capable of standing fairly dense shade. Their growth is slow. 



8. Diospyros ehretioides. Wall. Vern. Aukchinsa, Burm. 



A large deciduous tree with spreading branches and large leaves up to 

 1 ft. or more in length. The wood, which is grey with darker streaks, some- 

 times handsomely mottled, is not much used. This is a familiar tree in the 

 mixed deciduous forests of Burma, both in the upper and in the lower mixed 

 types, though perhaps commoner in the latter. It is somewhat shade-bearing, 

 its spreading crown being often conspicuous below an upper, story. The 

 fruits ripen in the cold season and are eaten by hornbills, as the Burmese 

 name implies. 



