ME HIERN, ON EBENACEJ3. 209 



This valuable tree is not uncommon in the mountain forests on both sides of the 

 Presidency of Madras and in Ceylon ; it yields the best kind of Ebony, generally jet- 

 black but sometimes slightly streaked with yellow or brown; it is very heavy, close and 

 even-grained, and stands a high polish ; unseasoned it weighs 90 to 100 Ibs. the cubic 

 foot, and 81 Ibs. when seasoned ; it is used for inlaying and ornamental turnery and 

 sometimes for furniture, but there is not much demand for it in Madras. The sap-wood 

 is white, hard, close-grained, and strong, but not durable ; it is however used by the 

 natives for various purposes; it is called Nalluti in the Cuppapah and Kurnool hill-forests 

 where the tree is very common and well known. Beddome I. c. 



D. reticulata, Decaisne, Herb. Timor, in Nouv. Ann. Mus. III. p. 406 (1834), non Willd. ; 

 D. reticulata, /3. timoriana, Alph. DC. Prodr. viu. p. 225. n. 11 var. (1844); D. timoriana, 

 Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. II. p. 1045 (1856), ought probably to be referred to D. Ebenum, Koen., 

 but I have not seen an authentic specimen. 



D. hebecarpa, A. Cunn. ex Benth. Fl. Austr. IV. p. 286 (1869) is probably the same 

 species ; the fruit is f 1 in. in diameter, covered with short hairs or glabrescent. 

 Australia, Queensland, Cape York, W. Hill!; Endeavour River, A. Cunningham!; New 

 Caledonia, Wagap, Vieillardf 2869. 



A specimen in Hb. Mus. Paris collected by Pancher ! in New Caledonia may be the 

 same species (D. Ebenum, Koen.) but the leaves are more coarsely reticulated and the 

 fruiting peduncles are longer (^in.). Cfr. D. samoensis, A. Gray. 



79. DIOSPYEOS PELLUCIDA, sp. nov. 



D. foliis alternis, ovali-oblongis, apice acuminatis, basi angustatis, firmiter membranaceis, 

 minute pellucido-punctatis, utrinque nitidis, glabris, breviter petiolatis ; floribus solitariis, axil- 

 laribus, subsessilibus, polygamis, tetrameris, calyce profunde lobato, lobis acuminatis, leviter 

 plicatis, corollce lobis profundis acutis, staminibus in fi. masc. 8, uniserialibus, glabris, fruc- 

 tibus globosis subglabratis, 8-locularibus. 



Branches spreading at about 45", terete, dark, glabrous, or minutely puberulous at 

 the extremities. Leaves oval-oblong, alternate, firmly membranous, glabrous, of nearly same 

 dark colour and shining on both sides, minutely pellucid-punctate, acuminate at apex, some- 

 what narrowed at base, 4 J 6 J in. long by 1| 2 in. wide, including petiole in. long ; 

 midrib depressed and veins inconspicuously reticulated above, lateral veins anastomosing within 

 the margin beneath. Flowers solitary, axillary, very nearly sessile ; polygamous (a male 

 flower and a young fruit growing on the same specimen), tetramerous. Calyx -^ in. long, 

 spreading, puberulous, but glabrescent outside, deeply 44obed, lobes ^ in. long, ovate, cor- 

 date and dilated at base, acuminate at apex, spreading, with margins reflexed outwards, 

 especially near base, somewhat plicate ; tube thickened and hairy inside, cup-shaped, the 

 thickened portion extending upwards a short distance up the middle of the lobes. 



<$. Corolla conical in bud, J in. high, glabrous above, puberulous below outside, deeply 

 lobed ; lobes acute. Stamens 8, equal, in one row, glabrous, J in. long ; anthers com- 

 pressed, T ^ in. long. Style ^ in. long, straight, erect, slightly puberulous below the lobed 

 apex, receptacle (rudimentary ovary) puberulous. 



9 . Young fruit ^ in. high by -fa in. thick, bluntly pointed at apex, pubescent ; 



VOL. XII. PART I. 27 



