198 
EBENACEiE. 
[Diospyros. 
3. D. leucomelas, Poir. ; Hiern. Mon. 179. A shrub or low tree, 
with glabrous nearly straight terete branchlets. Leaves nearly sessile, 
oblong, obtuse, 4-6 in. long, rigidly coriaceous, glossy, cordate at the 
base, with only the main veins raised below. Flowers 1-3 from the 
nodes, surrounded by several round dry persistent bracts. Flower- 
calyx f in. long, densely brown-tomentose, with 5-6 short erect round 
lobes. Corolla-tube longer than the calyx, silky on the outside ; lobes 
5-6, round, spreading, orange-red. Stamens 30-40, epipetalous, co- 
hering in pairs. Ovary 10-12-celled. Fruit-calyx not seen. Fruit 
globose, smooth, shining, li in. broad. D. reticulata, Sieber, ILort. 
Maur. ii. 114, non Willd. 
Mauritius, in forests throughout the island ; .Round Island, Sir H. Barkly l Also 
Madagascar. A variety, with anther tips obtuse and shortly pilose, was sent to Kew 
from the Mauritius herbarium. Bois d’ebdne d veines noires. 
4. D. mauritiana, A. DC. Prod. viii. 226. A tree, with virgate 
terete glabrous branchlets. Leaves oblong, glossy, rigidly coriaceous, 
obtuse or rather pointed, 3-5 in. long, rounded or subdeltoid at the 
base, the raised bright coloured purplish veins below anastomosing in 
broad areoles ; petiole in. long. Flowers 1-3, from the distant 
nodes. Flower-calyx deeply cup-shaped, nearly truncate, glabrous, 
-i- in. long. Corolla twice the length of the calyx, silky on the outside. 
Stamens 20-30. Fruit-calyx above an inch broad, •§ inch deep, with 5 
short erect round lobes. D. macrocalyx, A. DC. Prod. viii. 226. 
Mauritius, in the forests of Moka, Grand Port, Savanne, and Grand Bassin. 
United by Mr. Hiern with D. nodosa. I cannot by the descriptions in any way 
separate from this D. anoncefolia, Neraudii, and Boutoniana of A. De Candolle. We 
have barren specimens of an allied plant gathered by Sir H. Barkly on Round Island 
with slender zigzag branches, '.very short petioles, and very glossy strongly veined 
leaves 3-4 times as broad as long rounded at both ends. Both this and the other 
Round Island form may likely prove, when fully known, distinct from the Mauritian 
species. Endemic. Boisde Chene. 
5. D. nodosa, Poir . ; Hiern, Mon. 178. A much-branched shrub, 
with grey glabrous branches with the close nodes much thickened. 
Leaves oblong, rigidly coriaceous, glossy, obtuse or rather pointed, 
2-3 in. long, rounded at the base, the main veins beneath very fine and 
little raised ; petiole long. Flowers 1-2, nearly sessile at the 
crowded nodes. Flower-calyx f in. long, glabrous, the 5 half-circular 
lobes i as long as the tube. Stamens above 20. “ Lobes of the fruit- 
calyx erect/’ D. angulata, Poir. teste Bojer. 
Mauritius, in woods of the Pouce range, Gardner ! and at Pailles, Dupont ! Of 
this I have seen neither the fruit-calyx nor developed corolla. A specimen with 
only 11 stamens and nearly truncate calyx connects this with D. mauritiana. 
Also Bourbon. Bois d’elene bdtard a petites feuilles. 
6. D. diversifolia, Hiern. A small much-branched glabrate tree 
of about 15 feet, with pale ashy leafy branches. Leaves elliptical 
rounded at the apex, rigidly coriaceous, dark green and glossy above, 
