NO. 53. — 1902.] TREES AND FLOWERING PLANTS. 



197 



Leaves rather long, lanceolate-oblong, slightly tapering to 

 base, rather thick, with fine pellucid veining, attached 

 alternately by thick stalks about half an inch long. Surfaces 

 smooth, dark green above, rather shining. Flowers yellow, 

 slightly scented. Males rather small, rather crowded on 

 short racemose cymes. Female flowers solitary ,|rather large, 

 on short stalks. Fruit about three inches in diameter, seated 

 on a stiff star-like cup, usually coated all over with fine 

 salmon-pink mealy scurf, especially conspicuous when 

 young. 



Fairly common, but much more so in the dry forests by 

 the banks of streams. 



Wood pale grayish-white, close, rather hard, durable. 

 Suitable for rafters and wall-plates. Weight, about 50 lb. 

 per cubic foot. 



The fruits when unripe afford an astringent used in 

 medicine ; used also as a preservative tan for fishing nets. 

 The seeds contain a medicinal oil. 



196. — Diospyros Ebenum (Ebony). 



Kaluwara, S. acde)d ; Karunkali, T. <s5Q$tbaiT6h\ 

 Trim. Cey. Flor., vol. III., p. 94. 



A large handsome tree with broad domed head, dark gray 

 bark, with many fine longitudinal black streaks and cracks. 



Leaves very variable in size, usually about three inches 

 long, oblong-oval, abundant, shining green above, much 

 paler below, with conspicuous net-like pellucid veining, on 

 short alternate leaf -stalks. 



Flowers male and female, white or yellowish; male flowers 

 in very short-stalked clusters, small ; females solitary, with 

 strong green calyx that persists and falls with the fruit. 

 Fruits rather small, rather globular, smooth, dull green. 



Occurs in both Provinces, but is rather scarce in the 

 Western, where it occurs in the Hapitigam and Pasdun 

 Korales. Much more abundant in the dry and intermediate 

 zones. Plentiful in the rocky country near Galpaya, 



