DIOSPYROS EMBRYOPTERIS. (Nat. order Ebenace^e.) 



For Gen. Char, see under "D. Ebenum." 



DlOSPYKOS EMBRYOPTERIS. (Pers.) A middling sized tree, trunk erect straight, bark blackish rust colored, bran- 

 ches spreading smooth, leaf buds silky, leaves alternate lanceolate or elliptic coriaceous, quite glabrous and shining, about 6 inches long 

 by 2 broad, petioles about \ an inch, male peduncles axillary, the length of the petioles 3-5 flowered pedicels reflexed minutely pubescent 

 furnished with 1 small deciduous bract, calyx spreading shortly 4 lobed hairy outside, corol campanulate nearly 3 times as long 

 as the calyx, 4 cleft about half way down lobes ovate ciliate, filaments about 20 double bearing 40 erect linear anthers ; female flowers 

 axillary solitary much larger than the male, peduncles and calyx pubescent, filaments 1-4 sterile situated on the corol near the 

 base, ovary globular 8-12 celled with one pendulous ovule in each cell, styles 4-6 1 spreading, stigmas branched 2-3 cleft, berry globular 

 size of a small apple, yellow and covered with rust colored farina, seeds usually 5-8 immersed in pulp. DC- Vol. viii, 235. Diosp. 

 glutinosa, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii, 533. 



This is a common tree on the western coast, particularly near backwaters, and is also found in many of our forests in Bengal, Mysore, 

 Bombay and Ceylon; it is called Gaub in Hindustani, Tumilin Teloogoo, and Timberee in Ceylon; the timber is only of average quality, 

 and is used for building purposes, and the very viscid juice of the young fruit is used for paving\ihe seams of fishing boats, and fishing 

 nets, and lines are steeped in it for durability, and the unripe fruit contains a very large portion of tannin. Masts and yards of country 

 vessels are made from this tree in Ceylon. 



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