MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 179 



of corolla ; ovary hairy ; style 5-lobed. Fruit globular or ovoid, glabrate, 1 J 2 in. high, 

 resting at base on cup-shaped nearly glabrous calyx which in some cases reaches half-way 

 up the fruit and has erect lobes. 



Mauritius, Boivin!, Gardner!, Duportf, Commerson!, 299, 301. Madagascar, Boivin! 



D. capensis, Alph. DC. is reported from the Cape of Good Hope, probably by mistake. 



Perhaps ought to be united to D. melanida, Poir. 



32. DIOSPYROS ANON^EFOLIA, Alph. DC. Prodr. VIII. p. 227. n. 21 (1844). 



D. foliis elliptico-oblongis, alternis, obtusis, basi subacutis, glabris, submembranaceis, petio- 

 latis ; floribus masculis aggregatis, subsessilibus, calyce elongato-cyathiformi, basi acuto, glabro, 

 obscure 5-lobo ; corolld profunde 5-Jidd, extus sericed ; staminibus 20 24, geminatis, glabris, 

 corollce basi insertis. 



Branches and buds glabrous. Leaves alternate, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, glabrous, submem- 

 branous, subacute at the base, 5 7 in. long by 2 Sin. wide, paler beneath; petioles in. 

 long. 



(J. Flowers fascicled, 5 15 together, subsessile; bracts ovate, glabrous, caducous; calyx 

 elongate, cup-shaped, acute at the base, smooth, glabrous, obscurely 5-lobed at the apex, 

 Jin. long; corolla deeply 5-lobed, silky outside, rather longer than the calyx. Stamens 

 20 24, united in pairs at base, glabrous, inserted at base of corolla. 



Mauritius (or Bourbon ?) ex Alph. DC. I. c. 



Perhaps ought to be united to D. nodosa or to D. melanida or to both. 



33. DIOSPYROS LEUCOMELAS, Poir. Encycl. Me"th. v. p. 432. n. 8 (1804). 



D. foliis alternis, ovalibus vel orbicularibus, apice rotundis, basi cordatis, subamplexi- 

 caulibus, coriaceis, glabris, nitidis, subsessilibus ; floribus dicecis, 1 3-nis, axillaribus, sessi- 

 libus, 6 5-meris ; calyce tubuloso-campanulato, apice lobato, extus sericeo; corolld profunde 

 lobatd ; staminibus 30 40, glabris, receptaculo insertis; fructibus solitariis, glabris, calyce 

 cyathiformi duplo et ultra longioribus, 8 \Z-locularibus. 



Alph. DC. Prodr. VIII. p. 236. n. 70 (1844). 



Ebenus leucomelas, Commers. MSS. n. 149 Ic. ex Poir. I. c. 



Diospyros reticulata, Sieb. ! PI. Maurit. n. 1 14. non Willd. nee Decaisne. 



Diospyros amplexicaulis, Lindl. et Paxt. ! Flower Garden, II. p. 11. n. 271. fig. 139 (1851). 



Diospyros Commersoni, Gaertn. fil. Carp. in. p. 136. t. 208 (1805). 



D. melanida, Neraud ex Alph. DC. Prodr. vin. p. 236. n. 70 (1844), non Poir. 



Cfr. D. Hebenaster, Gaertn. Fruct. et Sem. Plant. II. p. 478. t. 179. f. 9 (1791), non 

 D. Ebenaster, Ketz. 



A lofty tree with white wood but with black lines in the heart; trunk with a dark 

 bark, much branched ; branches glabrous, pale-cinereous, spreading at about 40. Leaves 

 oval or orbicular, alternate, subsessile, cordate at base, rounded at apex, subamplexicaul, 

 coriaceous, quite glabrous and shining; often marked by coloured net-veins and occasionally 



232 



