NEW OR NOTEWORTHY PHILIPPINE PLANTS, VII. 
305 
EBENACEJE. 
DIOSPYROS Linn. 
Diospyros ahernii sp. nov. 
Arbor glabra inflorescentiis fructibusque exceptis; ramis pallidis, 
griseis vel brunneis; foliis subeoriaceis, oblongis, 16 acl 20 cm longis, 
apice acuminatis, basi acutis vel leviter. acuminatis, in sicco brunneis. 
utrinque nitidis, nervis utrinque circiter 8, prominentibus, anastomosan- 
tibus, nervis reticulisque densis, validis; inflorescentiis femineis axilla- 
ribus, raeemosis, pubescentibus ; fructibus ut videtur globosis, circiter 5 cm 
diametro, obtusis vel apiculatis, extus densissime ferrugineo-velutinis vel 
pubescentibus, calycis lobis 4, accrescenfibus, plus minus connatis, dense 
ferrugineo-pubescentibus, patulis vel reflexis, vix imbricatis, acuminatis, 
1 ad 1.5 cm longis. 
A tree, glabrous except the infloresence. Branches usually pale, light- 
gray or brownish, glabrous, the ultimate branchlets sometimes somewhat 
ferruginous-pubescent. Leaves subcoriaceous, oblong, 16 to 20 cm long, 
4.5 to 7 cm wide, glabrous and shining on both surfaces, usually brown 
when dry, the apex distinctly acuminate, base acute or somewhat acu- 
minate ; nerves about 8 on each side of the midrib, distinct, anastomosing, 
the secondary nerves and reticulations distinct, close. Flowers unknown, 
but the pistillate inflorescence axillary, racemose, densely pubescent, the 
racemes in fruit 1.5 to 3 cm long, usually bearing but one or two fruits, 
the pedicels stout, about 5 mm long. Fruit apparently globose, about 
5 cm in diameter, rounded or apiculate, outside densely ferruginous- 
velvety when young, pubescent when old, about 5-celled. Calyx per- 
sistent, accrescent, spreading in young fruits, reflexed in mature ones, 
3 to 4 cm in diameter, 4-lobed, the lobes united for the lower third, ovate, 
coriaceous, acuminate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, densely ferruginous-pubescent. 
Luzon, Province of Rizal, Bosoboso, For. Bur. 3071 Ahern’s collector, May, 
1905; Pilea, Bur. Sci. 3298 Ramos, June, 1907, both with immature fruits: 
Province of Tayabas, Lucban, Elmer 9110, May, 1907, distributed as Diospyros 
discolor Willd. 
A very distinct species, possibly allied to D. discolor Wilkl., but at once distin- 
guished by its glabrous leaves and its connate acuminate calyx-lobes which are 
not at all imbricate but spreading or reflexed, while its general appearance is 
quite different from ■ Wil denow’s species. The specimen collected by Elmer prob- 
ably had nearly mature fruits, but the sheet before me has only some fragments 
of the fruit, so that it is impossible to give a full description at the present 
time. It is known in Rizal Province as Talong-gubat. 
Diospyros buxifolia (Blume) Iliern Monog. Eben. (1873) 218. 
Leucoxylum buxifolium Blume Bijdr. (1826) 1169; Choisy Mem. Ternstr. 
(1855) 43, t. 2; Miq. FI. Ind. Bat. 2 (1858) 1050, 
Diospyros microphylla Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. (1871) 27, t. 183; Clarke in Hook, 
f. FI. Brit. Ind. 3 (1882) 559; King & Gamble in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 74 2 
(1905) 210. 
