158 MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^I. 



4. DIOSPTROS TUPRU, Buch. Journey vol. I. p. 183 (1807). 



D. foliis alternis et suboppositis, ellipticis ovatis vel subrotundis, apice obtusis rarius 

 acuminatis, basi rotundatis vel rarius angustatis, coriaceis, subtus tomentosis, petiolatis ; pe- 

 dunculis florum masculorum longitudine pelioli, apice 3 4>-floris, calyce campanulato apice 

 4 Q-lobo, staminibus 12 18; floribus femineis solitariis brevissime pedunculatis, staminodiis 

 6, fructibus subglobosis vel ovoideis glabris, calyce pro/wide 4 6-fido, lobis ovatis margine 

 extus reflexis ; albumine ruminato. 



Hamilt. (olim Buch.) in Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. Ill (1827). 



Diospyros exculpta, Hamilt. I.e. p. 110, D. exsculpta, Alph. D.C. Prodr. VIII. p. 223. 

 n. 3 (1844), Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 66 (1870) ? fr. 



Diospyros insculpta, Hamilt. I.e. p. 112, Alph. DC. I.e. n. 6. 



Diospyros tomentosa, Roxb. Hort. Beng. p. 40 (1814), Fl. Ind. edit. 1832 vol. 2. p. 532, 

 Roxb. draw. n. 1728 in Hb. Kew, R. Wight Ic. tt. 182, 183 (1840), non Poir. 



ID. speciosa, Wood, Rep. For. Oudh 1867 68, p. 33 (name only, 1869). 



Called Tupru (Carnatic), Kend (Hindoo), Kendu (Bengal) according to Hamilton, and 

 Kallindoo (Sanscrit), Kyou and Tumala (Bengal), according to Roxburgh; Tunki in the 

 Cuddapah district, and Tumboornee in the Bombay presidency, according to Beddome. 



A tree either of small moderate or large size up to 60 80 ft. high ; dioecious or poly- 

 gamous; the heart-wood is black in some trees and of a hard and heavy substance called 

 at Munghur Batti and at Saseram Abnus. The latter word is said to be of Persian origin 

 and a source from which our word Ebony is derived. Trunk grey-black, bark very closely 

 cracked both transversely and longitudinally. Branches cinereous, alternate or opposite, ramified 

 as in the oak ; young shoots ferruginous-pubescent. Leaves opposite subopposite and alternate, 

 elliptical ovate or subrotund, bright green, more or less coriaceous, usually almost glabrous 

 on the upper side and tomentose beneath, sometimes glabrous on both sides; obtuse or 

 rounded at the base ; emarginate rounded or obtusely narrowed or sometimes apiculate 

 at apex; 3 14 in. long by li 7^ in. wide; petioles ^ fin. long; lateral veins usually 

 prominent beneath; deciduous. 



6 ^Flowers 3 or 4, on recurved thickened tomentose peduncles equalling or rather 

 longer than the petioles, 4 5-merous, white, | ^in. long; bracts small; pedicels very 

 short ; calyx tomentose, campanulate ; corolla much longer than the calyx, with short lobes, 

 hairy outside; stamens 12 18, inserted on the receptacle, glabrous (?); ovary rudimentary, 

 hairy. 



9 Flowers solitary, subsessile or shortly stalked, 4 6-merous; peduncles about -j^in. 

 long ; bracts 3 4, scale-like, caducous ; calyx campanulate, 4 6-fid ; corolla shortly 4 6- 

 lobed; staminodes 6; ovary 4 (-6?) -celled, somewhat hairy; styles 2 ( 3). Fruit egg- 

 shaped or globose, glabrescent, about 1 in. long by f in. thick, usually 4-celled and 3-seeded ; 

 seeds Jin. long by Jin. wide and Jin. thick; fruiting calyx surrounding the base of the 



