MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 259 



-seeded, of a yellowish rusty colour, covered with a rubiginous mealiness ; fruiting calyx deeply 

 4-lobed, puberulous or glabrate, as wide as or wider than the fruit, spreading more or less or 

 erect, with lobes dilatate-subcordate at base, imbricated sinistrorsely. 



An officinal preparation (Extractum Diospyri of the Pharmacopoeia of India) is a valuable 

 astringent obtained from the fruit of this species, and is useful in diarrhoea chronic dysentery 

 and leucorrhoea and as a local application to bruises and sprains. 



Of this variable species the following varieties may be noticed : 



/3. atrata, Tbw. Z. c. Leaves thinly coriaceous; buds, peduncles and calyx fuliginous- 

 pilose. 



7. nervosa, Thw. I. c. Veins on both sides of the coriaceous leaves very prominent ; leaves 

 rounded at the base. Buds, peduncles and calyx nigro-pilose. Fruiting calyx-lobes erect. 



Local names. Panitsjika-maram, Keede, Hort, Malabar, pt. in. p. 45. t. 41 (1782). 

 Malabarensibus ; Tembiri, Brachmanis ; Fruita da, Grude, Lusitanis ; Lym-appel, Belgis. Tumika 

 of the Telingas, ex Roxb. Corom. 1. c. Mangostan-utan of the Malays. Tindooka, the Sanscrit 

 name, ex Roxb. Fl. Ind. Gaub in Bengal. Kibaragma or Kledong in Java. Timberee-gass 

 in Ceylon. Kusi in Banda, India. Gusvakendhu in Goomsur forests, Madras. 



The fruit when unripe contains a large quantity of tannin, and when ripe is eaten but 

 is not very palatable. The astringent viscid mucus of the fruit is used in Bengal for paying the 

 bottom of boats, and an infusion is employed to steep fishing-nets in to make them more 

 durable. It is also used for book-binding since it preserves the books from insects. Masts and 

 yards of country vessels are made from this tree in Ceylon. 



India, Silhet, Wattich! 4123; Quilon, Hurdwar, Amherst, Tavoy, Wallich; N. W. India, 

 Hb. Eoyle, M. P. Edgeworth /; Bengal, Behar, Hooker fil. and T. Thomson ! (Cult. ?) ; Assam 

 plains!; Upper Assam, Jenkins! 277; Ceylon, Thwaites! C. P. 1915, Walker!, Hb, Wight/ 

 1711 bis, Gardner ! 531 (/3 or 7) ; Canara, Mangalor, Hohenacker ! 869 ; Siam, Sir B. Schom- 

 burgk! 115; Java, Dr Ears field ! Eben. 2, 7, 8'; Zollinger! 3565; E. Doon, Dr Brandis! 



Var. /3. Ceylon, Thwaites! C. P. 2731; Mergui, Griffith! 3626, 3627; Tenasserim, 

 Packmann ! 



Var. 7. Ceylon, Thwaites! C. P. 1910. 



149. DIOSPTROS CORIACEA, sp. nov. 



D. tola coriacea, glabrata; foliis alternis, oblongo-lanceolatis vel avalibus, apice acumi- 

 natis, basi fere rotundatis vel breviter angustatis, petiolatis ; floribus femineis solitariis vel 

 raro binis breviter pedunculatis axillaribus, calyce lato, plicato, 4 3-fido, lobis obtusis, corolld 

 breviter semi-ellipsoided 4 3-fidd, lobis rotundatis valde contortis, staminodiis 5 gldbris, ovario 

 minute granuloso-glanduloso, subgloboso, 8-loculari, stylo apice lobato, fructibus subglobosis 

 Icevibus, calyce fructifero ampliato longitudine fructus. 



Shoots dark-cinereous, glabrate, terete ; leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate or oval, acumi- 

 nate at apex, nearly rounded or somewhat narrowed at base, coriaceous, glabrate, moderately 

 reticulated, 2 4 in. long by J IJin. wide; petioles \ ^in long. 



9 . Flowers solitary or rarely 2 together, in upper axils, glabrous, coriaceous ; peduncles 

 ^ in. long ; calyx wide, plicate, \ in. wide, \ in. high, 4 3-fid, lobes obtuse ; corolla 

 shortly ovoid, as high as the calyx, \ in. wide, 4 3-fid, lobes rounded, much contorted ; 



332 



