176 ME HIERN, ON EBENACE^. 



Sifatatu, Alacainisi. Madagascar, Tranomaro, sands near the sea, July 1862, Dr Heller I 

 Natives say that birds die soon after eating the fruit. 



9 . Bracts caducous, imbricated. Fruit solitary, ferruginous-tomentose, subsessile ; young 

 fruit scarcely the length of the accrescent calyx, ovoid or subglobose, \ in. high, umbilicate- 

 depressed at apex, 8-celled, 8-ovuled; pericarp thick; fruiting calyx ferruginous-tomentose on 

 both sides, cup-shaped, shortly 4-lobed. Native name Vorongi. Madagascar, Tranomaro, 

 July 1862, Dr Heller I 



The following may belong to this species: 



(1) Specimen with ovoid fruit ferruginous-tomentose 2 in. high, fruiting calyx 1J in. 

 across appressed to base of fruit, leaves 4J 6 in. long by 1| 2J in. wide; Madagascar, 

 Lastelle! 1841, seen in the Paris Museum. 



(2) Fruit nearly 1 in. long, rufous-tomentose. Fruiting calyx spreading in. across; 

 Madagascar, Chapelier! Seen in the Paris Museum. 



(3) Fruit IJin. long by 1J in. thick, ferruginous-tomentose, 8-celled; fruiting calyx 

 spreading. Without leaves. Said to come from S. Africa, but probably this is a mistake; 

 Gerard ! n. 190, seen at the Kew Museum. 



28. DIOSPYROS TESSELLARIA, Poir. in Enclyc. Me*th. V. p. 430. n. 6 (1804). 



D, ramulis fusco-cinereis ; foliis alternis, ovalibus vel ovatis, apice rotundatis, basi 

 rotundis, glabris, nitentibus, coriaceis, tenuiter reticulatis, petiolatis ; floribus masculis sessilibus, 

 scepius aggregatis, e pulvino convexo ferrugineo piloso surgentibus, tetrameris, tomentosis, 

 bracteis imbricatis ovato-rotundatis extus sericeis intus glabris ; calyce apice lobato, staminibus 

 12 13, glabris; floribus femineis aggregatis, tetrameris; fructibus subglobosis, ferrugineo- 

 sericeis vel subglabratis, 8-locularibus, edulibus. 



Alph. DC. Prodr. vm. p. 225. n. 12 (1844). 



Ebenus tessellaria, Commers. ex Poir. I. c. 



D. Ebenum, Poir. 1. c. p. 429. n. 4, non Koenig. 



D. reticulata, Willd. sp. pi. iv. p. 1109, n. 6 (1805), Alph. DC. I, c. n. 11 excl. $ timoriana, 

 non Decaisne. 



A tree or shrub with dark-cinereous glabrous branches. Leaves alternate, oral or 

 ovate, rounded at both ends, especially at base, where they are sometimes slightly cordate, 

 glabrous, coriaceous, shining, finely reticulated, 3 6 in. long by 1J 3 in. wide; margins 

 slightly reflexed; petioles stout, J J in. long. Flowers densely clustered, sessile, arising 

 from lateral nodules on the young branches, fulvo-sericeous, tetramerous; calyx tubular, 

 lobed at the apex, ^ \ in. long; <J. stamens 12 13, glabrous, mostly in pairs, inserted on 

 the receptacle. Fruit globular or ellipsoidal, 8-celled, nearly glabrate or sericeous, edible, 

 8-celled ; fruiting calyx hemispherical or rarely flat, thickly coriaceous, sericeous, lobes 

 short, rounded. Wood valuable ; this species probably yields the ebony of Mauritius. 



Mauritius, in the forests of the highest parts of the island, BoutonI ; Ayres!, Telfair!; 

 shrub 6 8 feet high, fruit good to eat, sweet, fruiting calyx flat, Bouton! 



