MK HIERN, ON EBENACE^. 117 



Wight, Ic. pi. Ind. Or. vol. iii. pt. i. p. 4. t. 763 (1843), Alph. DC. Prodr. VIII. p. 240. 

 n. 2 (1844), Thw. En. Ceyl. pi. p. 183 (1860). 



HIGHULHAENDA, Herm. Mus. Zeyl. p. 21 (1717). 



Pisonia (T) buxifolia, Rottb. in Nye Saml. Kong. Danske Skrift. vol. II. p. 536. t. 4. f. 2 

 (1783). 



Ehretia ferrea, Willd. Phytogr. I. p. 4. t. 2. f. 2 (1794). 



Ferreola buxifolia, Roxb. Coromand. vol. I. p. 35. t. 45 (1795), Juss. in Ann. Mus. v. 

 p. 418 (1804), Correa de Serra in Ann. Mus. vili. p. 399. t. 65. f. 2 (1806). 



Maba littorea, R. Br. Prodr. Fl. Austral, p. 527. n. 5 (1810) [Mr Bentham unites this 

 with M. geminata, R. Br.]. 



Ferriola buxifolia, Roxb. Hort. Bengal, p. 72 (1814). 



Ferreola, guineensis, Schum. Plant. Guin. p. 448 (1827), in Kong. Danske Vid. Selsk. 

 iv. p. 222 (1829). 



Maba Cumingiana, Alph. DC. Prodr. vili. p. 241. n. 4 (1844). 



M. madagascariensis, Alph. DC. I.e. n. 7. 



M. guineensis, Alph. DC. I.e. n. 8. 



M. Smeathmanni, Alph. DC. I.e. n. 9. 



(?) M. vaccinicefolia, Benth. in Hook. Niger Fl. p. 442 (1849). 



M. neilgherrensis, Wight, Ic. pi. Ind. Or. (iv.) nn. 1228 9 (1850), Illust. Ind. Bot. ii. 

 p. 147. t. 148 bis E. (1850). 



M. Ebenus, Wight. l.c. tt. 1228 9 (1850), non Spreng. 



M. angustifolm, Miq. ex Thw. En. Ceyl. pi. p. 183 (1860). 



A shrub or tree ; young parts pubescent, glabrescent ; branches terete, spreading at 

 35 60. Leaves elliptical obovate or lanceolate, obtuse at apex, more or less narrowed at 

 base, coriaceous or submembranous, ^ 5 in. long by -J- 2 in. wide, margins usually thickened 

 or reflexed and often undulated, veins inconspicuous, petioles ^ \ in. long, sometimes hairy. 

 Flowers subsessile, trimerous, pubescent, about ^ in. long, 1 3 together, in very short 

 axillary cymes, on the young branches. Calyx -fa in. long, campanulate, with short deltoid 

 lobes. Corolla campanulate-oblong, shortly 3-fid, lobes elliptical. Stamens 6 12 in male 

 flower, in female, hypogynous, glabrous; ovary rudimentary and hairy in male flower, 

 3-celled in female flower, style 3-lobed at apex. Fruit globose or ellipsoidal, glabrate, A f in. 

 thick; fruiting calyx cupuliform, shorter than the fruit; seeds solitary; albumen white, car- 

 tilaginous, not ruminated. 



Dr Thwaites, who has seen growing in Ceylon many forms of this polymorphic and 

 widely distributed species, gives the following varieties: 



Var. /3. microphylla, foliis parvulis. 



Var. 7. Ebenus, foliis majoribus membranaceis parum acuminatis vel retusis saepe subor- 

 biculatis. 



Var. S. angustifolia, foliis lanceolatis vel lineari-lanceolatis, obtusis. 



Dr Thwaites 1. c. adds : " I have devoted much time to the examination of the several 

 very different-looking varieties of this plant, expecting to discover some sufficiently important 



