PURPLE EBONY 



Grain. Very even though moderately coarse and open, the 

 pores being rare. Surface bright. 



Bark. ? 



Uses, etc. An important furniture wood : turnery, inlaying, 

 etc. 



Colour. Nut-brown streaked with narrow black lines sharply 

 denned from the brownish-white sap-wood, which is about i to i£ 

 inches wide. 



Anatomical Characters as D. latifolia with the following slight 

 variations. Transverse section. Pores visible from their size 

 and lustre, size 1-2. Rays, clear with lens even in the black 

 bands, numerous 7-15 per mm., size 5-6 : large celled, lax. 

 Contour of the rings often crenate (i.e. in waves convex outwards) 

 in undulations. Soft-tissue more visible in the black bands : 

 2 to 4 per mm., irregularly recurring. In Tangential Section 

 owing to the crenate contour of the rings, there is often a pretty 

 zigzag, toothed appearance of the loops and fringes. 



Type specimens from commercial sources not authenticated. 



No. 56. PURPLE EBONY. Dalbergia sp. 



Plate V. Fig. 37. 



Natural Order. Leguminoseae. 



From Ceylon. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 53J lbs. per, 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 2, compare Boxwood. Smell and taste 

 none. Burns very well with a lively, spurting flame and a 

 peculiar though not strong aroma. Solution with water, brown, 

 with a slight olive shade : with alcohol, deep reddish-purple, 

 very strong. 



Grain. Rather coarse and open. Surface bright, that of the 

 rays woolly on a cleft section. 



Bark.? 



Uses, etc. Cabinet-making, turnery, inlaying : very difficult 

 to split, surface when cleft fibrous. 



Colour. Rich, dark-purple, streaked with black. 



Anatomical Characters, etc. As D. latifolia with the following 

 slight variations. Transverse Section : — 



Pores. Readily visible, size 1, coarse : few 4 to 8 per sq. mm. 

 single or in radial groups of 2 to 5, rarely the latter and rarely 

 containing resin or gum. 



Rays. Need lens, size 5, fine : 9 to 11 per mm. ; continuously 

 traceable over light or dark bands. 



Rings. No indication, only the alternating light and dark 

 bands. 



Soft-tissue. Abundant in concentric bands about their own width 



65 F 



