Forest Flora of Portuguese East Africa. 
flowers, represented by about 60 species, 6 of which are described in “Flora of Tropical Africa” from further north, while only i species, a Natal tree, is known to 
extend into the Province. 
M. natalensis, Harv. Veni. names— 4, Tchintomane, Chintomane, or Mantomane ; 10, Mgunaritch ; 13, Tchicwane ; 14, Smalblad ; 15, Velenda. A tree 7-15 
metres high, with very horizontal densely foliaged branches. Twigs numerous, slender, pubescent when young. Leaves alternate, often distichous, oval, inch 
long, coriaceous, glabrous above, paler below, shortly petioled, and when quite young pubescent on the petiole, midrib and leaf-margins, but soon glabrous. Growth- 
buds enclosed in hard brown ciliate scales. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2-3 together, almost sessile, inconspicuous. Calyx cup-shaped, without lobes, glabrous. 
Corolla small, externally hispid, 3-lobed. Staminodia in fertile flower 6-9, separate, glabrous. Ovary glabrous, 3-celled ; cells 2-ovuled. Fruit 1-5 c.m. long, acorn- 
shaped in the green calyx-cup, yellow when ripe, rather succulent though hardly edible. Frequent in the Maputa Lebombos, usually as a shrub ; occurs also in 
M’Chopes (extra-tropical) and Magenja da Costa (tropical). In Cape Colony and Natal it is confined to the coast-belt, but in this Province it extends at least 50 
miles inland. For illustration see “ Forest Flora of Cape Colony,” p. 259, Plate C. 
DIOSPYROS. “ Trees or shrubs, with alternate shortly petiolate leaves, and usually small axillary solitary or shortly cymose flowers. Calyx usually campanulate and 
4-5 lobed, rarely 3 or 6-lobed, often accrescent in fruit. Corolla tubular or campanulate or rotate, usually 4-5 lobed ; lobes usually spreading or recurved. Stamens 
6-many, usually about 16 and more or less united by their base in pairs or otherwise, inserted at the base of the corolla or hypogvnous, in female flowers absent 
or usually fewer than in the male and abortive ; anthers linear or lanceolate; filaments usually shorter or almost obsolete. Ovary globose, ovoid or conical, 4 or 8- 
celled, glabrous or hairy, in male flowers rudimentary ; styles or style branches 2-4, stigmas usually emarginate; ovules solitary. Fruit globose, oblong or conical, 
coriaceous or thin skinned, often pulpy inside and edible. Seeds 1-8, oblong or hemispherical or globose; albumen uniform or ruminated. I was singularly 
unfortunate in regard to this genus, for while it is believed to be fairly well represented in the Province, not one flower was found, and consequently the leaves, if 
found, must remain among my incognita;. The fruit alone is insufficient for identification, but 2 species collected by me appear from the fruits to be Diospyros, 
viz. : — 
D. sp. (Sim 6251.) Vern. names— 4, Toma or Um-toma; 3, Jakals-besje. A large tree, found mostly quite leafless, but with nearly globose, several-seeded, sessile 
fruits 2 c.m. diameter still present, with 5-lobed pubescent calyx 12 m.m. across, having recurved undulate margins. Leaves in the first stage of development 
scabrid-pubescent, afterwards pubescent or glabrescent, widely lanceolate, elliptical or obovate, 10 c.m. long, 1-3 c.m. wide. Soft white sapwood ; timber said to 
make good felloes. May be D. mespiliformis, but I think not. Umbelusi and toward the Lebombos {extra-tropical). 
D. sp. (Sim 6397.) A littoral much-branched shrub or small tree forming half of the dense bush vegetation at Bartholemew Dias (tropical). Bark white, younger 
growth finely pubescent Leaves 2-3 c.m. long, i'5-2 c.m. wide, oval or somewhat obovate, rounded at the apex and base, shortly petioled, glabrous, green above, 
pale below 7 . Fruits almost sessile, depressed-globose, 2 c.m. diameter, 1*5 c.m. deep, purplish, i-several seeded; calyx 2 c.m. across in fruit, apparently somewhat 
accrescent, spreading, with 5 cordate or reniform puberulous segments and a disc 1 c.m. across. Seldom of timber size. 
The following specific descriptions are mostly condensed from the “ Flora of Tropical Africa” : — 
D. mespiliformis, Hochst. A shrub or tree 6-60 feet high or more ; wood compact, often black in the middle. Young shoots and inflorescence ferruginous-tomentose, 
leaves oblong or elliptical 2-6 inches long, 3-2^ inches wide, at first pubescent. Flowers white, dioecious ; inflorescence axillary, short. Male flowers few or many 
together 5 (or 4) merous ; calyx hairy on both sides, lobes ovate or lanceolate ; corolla urceolate-oblong ; stamens 10-16, often in pairs ; ovary rudimentary, hairy or 
wanting. Female flowers solitary or 3-1 together 5 (or 4-3) merous; staminodes 6-S in 1 row, ovary ovoid or conical, silky, terminated by 2 short hirsute bilobed 
styles, 4 or 8-celled and ovuled. Fruit sub-globose 3-1 inch diameter, 4-5 seeded, edible. Albumen somewhat ruminated. Tete, Senna, Laputa, and other parts 
of Tropical Africa. Moraes (Manual Practico de Agricultura), who describes it as a small tree with excellent timber, gives its names in Angola as, 2, Silviera or 
Musolviera; 17, Mulende, and in Zambesia, 16, Hourabassa. 
Mr. Burtt Davy (Kew Bulletin No. 4, 1908) gives several Transvaal localities, as also “ Mathibis Korn inter Lourenco Marques et Komati River Drift, Aug., 
1886, arbor 40-50 pedalis, Bolus, 7847,” and states “Common in the Eastern middle veld of the Zoutpansberg ; between 2000-2500 ft. alt. a conspicuously large 
tree with dark foliage, usually occurring on ant heaps in grey soil. Fruit eaten by Kaffirs.” This probably yields part of the black-hearted timber produced in most 
parts of the Province and known as Ebony , which should have an export value. 
