102 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Dioscorea trifida, Linne fil. 



Central America. One of the Yams there cultivated. Various 

 other tuberous Dioscorese occur in tropical countries, but their 

 respective degrees of hardiness, taste, and yield are not recorded 

 or ascertained. The length of the warm season in many extra- 

 tropical countries is probably sufficient for ripening all these 

 Yams. 



Diospyros Ebenum, Koenig.* 



Ceylon, where it furnishes the best kind of Ebony wood. It 

 is not uncommon up to 5,000 feet in that island, according to 

 Dr. Thwaites ; hence I would recommend this large and valu- 

 able tree for test plantations in warm extra-tropical lowland 

 forest regions, where also D. qusesita and D. oppositifolia 

 (Thwaites), the best Calamander Trees and D. melanoxylon, 

 should be tried. Many other species of Diospyros could prob- 

 ably be introduced from the mountains of various tropical 

 regions, either for the sake of their ebony-like wood or their 

 fruit. Black Ebony wood sinks in water. The price in Eng- 

 land ranges from 8 to 10 per ton, from 700 to 1,000 tons 

 being imported into Britain annually for pianoforte keys, the 

 string-holders of musical instruments, and other select pur- 

 poses. The following species yield Ebony wood, according to 

 Hiern, some of which may prove hardy : Indian D. Ebenum, 

 Koen. ; D. melanoxylon, Roxb. ; D. silvatica, Roxb. ; D.Gard- 

 neri, Thw. ; D. hirsuta, L. fil. ; D. discolor, Willd. ; D. Embry- 

 opteris, Thw. ; D. Ebenaster, Retz. ; D. montana, Roxb. ; D. 

 insignis, Pers. ; D. Tupru, Hamilt. ; D. truncata, Zoll. ; D. 

 ramiflora, Wall. African D. Dendo, Welw. ; D. mespili- 

 formis, Hochst. Mauritius D. tesselaria, Poiret. Madagas- 

 car D. haplostylis, Boivin ; D. microrhombus, Hiern. 



Diospyros Kaki, Linne fil. 



The Date Plum of China and Japan. A slow-growing not 

 very productive tree, here recorded for completeness. The 

 fruit is yellow or pink, or dark purple, variable in size, but 

 SQldom larger than an ordinary apple ; it can readily be dried 

 on strings. A hard and soft variety occur. It has ripened at 

 Sydney and as far north as Philadelphia (Saunders). The 

 most famed varieties are, according to the Rev. Mr. Loorins, 

 Ronosan, Nihon, Micado, Daimio, Taikoon, Yamato, the latter 

 particularly large and saccharine, and, with the Jogen variety, 

 particularly used for drying. In Japan thought to be the best 

 of its native fruits (Christie) ; attains one pound in weight. 

 There is also a small seedless variety. Dried Kaki fruit is 

 considered superior to figs. 



