Maba.] 
LXXXVIII. EBENACE^E. 
279 
1 . MABA, Forst. 
Trees or shrubs, never large. Flowers shortly pedicelled or 
in small cymes, usually 3-merous (rarely 4- or 5-merous). Calyx 
3- to 5-fid, rarely sub-truncate. Corolla-tube usually longer; 
lobes 3, twisted to right. Males, stamens 3 to 21; anthers oblong. 
Females, staminodes o to 12. Ovary 3- or 6-celled; ovules 6. 
Fruit globose or ellipsoid baccate, 1- to 6-celled and seeded. 
Species 70, tropics. This genus is hardly separable from Diospyros. 
Leaves opposite or nearly so . 
Leaves alternate. 
Leaves pubescent beneath.; nerves prominent 
Leaves velvety-tomentose beneath; nerves in¬ 
visible ....... 
Leaves glabrous, large. 
Leaves ovate or elliptic ..... 
Leaves oblong; nerves 6 to 7 pairs . 
Leaves oblong; nerves invisible 
Leaves small obovate, under 1 in. across . 
Leaves small elliptic lanceolate, -12 in. across 
(1) M. Hierniana 
(2) M. venosa 
(3) M. olivacea 
(4) M. merguensis 
(5) M. Clarkeana 
(6) M. perakensis 
(7) M. buxifolia 
(8) M. elegans 
(1) M. Hierniana King and Gamble, lx. 203. 
Small glabrous shrub 2 to 3 ft. tall. Leaves opposite, thin 
coriaceous, oblong, shortly acute acuminate, base short cuneate; 
nerves 8 to 10 pairs, prominent beneath and widely inarching; 
6 to 10 in. long, 2 to 3-5 in. wide; petioles -3 to -6 in. long. Male 
flowers unknown. Female flowers rotate, sub-sessile in axillary 
or extra-axillary fascicles of 2 or 3. Calyx-lobes free nearly to 
base, round crenate. Corolla twice as long, deeply 5-lobed, lobes 
oblong blunt. Staminodes 3 to 4. Ovary hemispheric; style 
short, thick. Hdb. Rare and little known. Forests 300 to 500 ft. 
altitude. Perak, Batang Padang district (Kunstler). 
(2) M. venosa King and Gamble, lx. 203. 
Medium-sized tree 15 to 20 ft. tall, thinly ashy-pubescent. 
Leaves coriaceous elliptic shortly acuminate, base very shortly 
narrowed; nerves 6 to 9 pairs with midrib depressed above, elevate 
beneath, strongly inter-arching, midrib pubescent; 4-5 in. long, 
2 to 3 in. wide; petioles pubescent, -5 in. long. Male and female 
flowers alike in dense cymes of 5 or 6, about -3 in. long, flowers 
sessile or on hairy pedicels *3 to -4 in. across. Calyx very coriaceous 
with 3 ovate deep lobes, blunt, partly pilose. Corolla smaller, 
tubular, glabrous. Stamens 6 in 2 rows; anthers cordate. Rudi¬ 
mentary ovary ovoid in a dense ring of hair. Females with a few 
flat staminodes. Ovary ovoid, base hairy; styles 3. Fruit ovoid- 
globular, glabrous, -75 in. long, -6 in. through, blunt at both ends, 
with the 3- or 4-lobed calyx woody accrescent. Hab. Singapore, 
Tampinis River and Changi. Native name: Timah-Timah. 
(3) M. olivacea King and Gamble, lx. 204. 
frees 50 to 70 ft. tall, 15 to 20 in. through. Leaves coriaceous, 
elliptic, short apiculate velvety-tomentose beneath and on midrib 
