176 



flowers 6 inches across with white petals, and a mass of yellow 

 stamens in the centre. The true fruit which is about 3 inches in 

 diameter, is composed of 20 cells, arranged round an axis, each 

 one with several seeds enveloped in a jelly-like pulp, the whole is 

 covered round with the calyx-leaves which have become thick and 

 fleshy, forming a large heavy fruit 6 inches in diameter. Both 

 fruit and leaves are used in India for making curries and jellies. 

 The acid juice of the fruit, mixed with sugar and water, forms an 

 excellent cooling drink in fevers, and is also useful for cough mix- 

 ture. The rough leaves are employed in the same way as sand- 

 paper for polishing. Both bark and leaves are astringent and are 

 used medicinally. Their timber is hard and durable, especially 

 under water. (Dilieniaccce.) 



45. Diospyros discolor, Willd. — The name "Ebony" is applied to a 



black wood, which is hard and heavy. The Ebony of Jamaica and 

 Cuba, ( Brya ebenus ), which is so common in the Liguanea Plains, 

 in Clarendon, &c, is known in commerce as " Coccus Wood." 



True Ebony is heavier than water, a cubic foot weighing from 

 1,100 to 1,330 oz. It is close-grained and takes a high polish. It 

 is chiefly used for inlaying and fancy work, to make piano- 

 forte keys, &c. The best kind of Ebony is very valuable on ac- 

 count of its maintaining a permanent shape and not warping , it is 

 therefore used for rules and measures, The price of the timber as 

 imported into England varies from £5 to £20 per ton ; 700 to 1000 

 tons are annually imported. 



Wood of a high specific gravity, close-grained and black, is called 

 Ebony, whatever the tree may be which produces it. It is how- 

 ever, yielded principally by species of Diospyros, natives of the 

 East Indies and Tropical Africa. Amongst these species is one, 

 Diospyros discolor, Willd, a native of the Phillipine Islands. This 

 tree grows to about 40 feet high. The wood is at first of a dark 

 flesh colour, becoming in time of an exceedingly deep black colour, 

 very hard and compact. The reddish fruit known as Mabola, is 

 edible, after removing the skin. The tree will probably only suc- 

 ceed well in Jamaica, where there is a heavy rainfall, for instance 

 in Portland, St. Mary's and St. Thomas iti the East. (Ebenacecv.) 



46. Diplothemium caudescens, Mart, is one of the palms which inhabit 



the burning sandy sea-shores of Brazil. The fruit hangs in yellow 

 bunches, just below the silvery imdersurfaces of the leaves, and the 

 natives can easily refresh themselves with its sweet pulp, as the 

 trunk does not attain any great height. (Palmce.) 



47. 'Dipteryx odorata, Wild, is the tree which produces the Tonquin or 



Tonka Bean. Although this plant belongs to the same family as the 

 common bean, the fruit is almond-like with only one seed, and is 

 produced by a forest tree, 60 to 80 feet hierh, growing in the steamy 

 atmosphere of the woods of Cayenne. When the leaves are fresh, 

 they are fragrant with the perfume of new-mown hay. When 

 snuff was used, a bean was commonly carriel in the snuff-box for 

 the sake of the agreeable fragrance it imparted. No great com- 

 mercial importance attaches to the Tonquin Bean, only a few hun- 



