THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



times reduced to mere bars : " crystals of oxalate of lime at in- 

 tervals" (131). 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. Pores fine, but still visible, showing up after 

 moistening : filled with black resin, sometimes in grains. Rays 

 readily visible when cleft. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the pores are less 

 numerous and narrower. Rays invisible except in thin section 

 under the micro. : height about 1 mm., of a single row of rather 

 large cells : sometimes a larger cell where the ray is intersected 

 by a line of soft- tissue. 



Type specimens from commercial sources, not authenticated. 



No. 134. EBONY. Diospyros melanoxylon. Roxb. 

 Plate X. Fig. 85. 



Natural Order. Ebenaceae. 



Synonyms. D. Wightiana, Bedd. D. Tupru, Buch. D. 

 exsculpta, Ham. D. tomentosa, Roxb. 



Alternative Names. For those in the Indian dialects, see 

 Gamble (37), p. 247. 



Sources of Supply. Throughout India (37). 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 61-82 lbs. per 

 cu. ft. : the lower figure for the sap-wood only, I imagine, as my 

 specimens all range much higher. Hardness Grade 1. Smell 

 none. Taste of the sap-wood astringent or bitter, of the heart- 

 wood less so. Burns well, little smell or smoke. Solution very 

 faint brown, rather more extracted by alcohol. 



Grain. Moderately fine and even. Surface bright, scarcely 

 lustrous. 



Bark. " Greyish-black, \ inch thick : the inner substance 

 black and charcoal-like with numerous transverse, rough cracks, 

 exfoliating in regular oblong scales " (37). 



Uses, etc. Cabinet-making, turnery, etc. " In India the 

 sap-wood is used for shoulder-poles, building purposes, carriage- 

 shafts and the Ebony for carving " (37). Splits readily and 

 straight : planes easily compared with other Ebonies. 



Authorities. Gamble (37), pp. 247-249. Nordlinger (86), 

 vol. ix. p. 13. Nordlinger describes D. tomentosa as a separate 

 species. This wood is usually confused with other Ebonies, 

 from which it is difficult to separate unless some sap-wood be 

 present. 



Colour. Heart-wood black with brown or purplish streaks, 

 sharply defined from the uniform pinkish or light-red sap-wood. 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : — 



Pores. On the limit of vision, size 3, medium : scattered 



154 



