p 
Y E O S. 
846 DIOS 
great plenty of thefe trees in the woods; alfo in Pennfyl- 
vania, Philadelphia, New Jerfey, &c. for the mod part 
in wet places, round the water-pits. It is known there 
by the name of 'pifhamin or perfimon. 
■ 3. Diofpyros kaki, the kaki: peduncles three-parted. 
A middling-fized tree, very branching. Fruit a fubglo- 
bofe pome, obfeurely four-cornered, fmooth, when un¬ 
ripe green, when ripe yellow, truncate at the bale, the 
fize of a middling apple, having nearly the tulle of a fweet 
white plum, fleftiy. Seeds half-mooned, comprelTed at 
one edge, fmooth. The fruit eaten plentifully occafions 
a diarrhoea in the autumnal months. It is preferved in 
the fame manner as the fig, by fprinkling meal or fugar 
over it. Native of Japan, and cultivated there ; alfo in 
China, Cochin-china, and fome parts of the Eafi Indies. 
It differs from the American fort in its branches, and the 
pubefcence on the lower l'urface of the leaves. 
4. Diofpyros hirfuta, or hairy dio.fpyros: branches and 
leaves villofe underneath; leaves elliptic, obtufe ; flow¬ 
ers axillary, heaped, fellile. It differs from the fore¬ 
going in having the flowers feflile and many together, and 
the leaves obtufe at both ends, not acuminate. Found 
in Ceylon, by Thunberg. 
5. Diofpyros ebenafier, or ebony : leaves oval-oblong, 
leathery ; buds fmooth. This is a very large tree, very 
fmooth in all its parts, the timber very hard. The finall 
branches have an afh-coloured bark; thofe which bear 
the leaves are blackifh. It is very like the firft fpecies, 
but the leaves are more ovate, and more hoary under¬ 
neath. The wood is heavy, compact, and hard, whitilh 
next the bark, but towards the middle very black ; this 
blacknefs gradually tinges the whole body, in the fame 
manner as the refinous part of the fir pervades the body 
by the decaying branches. This is the true ebony, ac¬ 
cording to Koenig and Thunberg. Native of the vaft 
woods of Ceylon, Amboyna, Cochin-china, and the Eafi: 
Indies. According to Retzius, this fpecies is confounded 
with the next in the Supplement. 
Loureiro deferibes his diofpyros decandra as a large 
tree, with the boughs fomewhat fpreading. Flowers 
white, axillary, in threes, on fliort peduncles. Berry 
large, fubglobular, umbilicate, yellowilh, pulpy, one- 
celled, with from fix to eight feeds, which are bony, and 
of a comprelTed ovate form. According to Juflieu, the 
fruit has from eight to twelve cells. Gsertner deferibes 
the feeds as femi-ovate, wedge-form, comprelfed, fiightly 
convex on one fide, flat on the other, furrounded by a 
deprefled line, of a rufous ferruginous colour. The fruit 
has an aufterity mixed with its fweetnefs, and a ftrong 
unpleafant fmell ; it is however eaten, and fold in the 
markets in the northern provinces of Cochin-china. The 
wood of this tree, when of a fufficient age, is excellent 
for cabinets and all elegant works, being of a compact, 
fine, regular, grain, heavy, very white, veined with 
black, and fometimes black at the heart. It is not how¬ 
ever the true ebony ; which is delcribed by Loureiro un¬ 
der the name of ebenoxylum. 
6. Diofpyros ebenum, or green-leaved ebony: leaves 
ovate-lanceolate, acuminate ; buds rough with hairs. 
Leaves about three inches in length, thin, flexible, dark 
green. Native of Ceylon. 
7. Diofpyros lobata, or lobated diofpyros: leaves ovate- 
lanceolate, fmooth on both Tides ; peduncles one-flowered, 
axillary; berries eight-lobed. This is a fmall tree, eight 
feet high, with fpreading branches. Flowers white ; berry 
pale yellow, an inch in diameter, comprelTed, eight- 
celled, one-feeded, with a fweetifh-auftere pulp, without 
any fmell.' Native of Cochin-china. 
8. Diofpyros dodecandra, or tvvelve-ftamened diofpy¬ 
ros: flowers tvvelve-ftamened, axillary; berries lenti¬ 
cular. This is a large tree. The wood is like that of 
No. 5, but has not the black veins. This tree is much 
ufed for fupporting the black pepper flirubs. Native of 
Cochin-china.* . , 
9. Diofpyros tetrafperma, or four-feeded diofpyros; 
leaves membranaceous, Alining, wedge-form ; berries 
four-feeded. Native of Jamaica. 
10. Diofpyros menaloxylon, or black diofpyros: the 
tumida of the Telingas. Trunk erefl; in large trees from 
twenty to twenty-five feet to the branches, and about 
eight or ten in circumference. Bark fcabrous or deeply 
cracked, lomewhat fpongy ; colour, a mixture of grey 
and black in irregular firata. Branches very irregular, 
numerous, rigid, forming a large fpreading fhady head ; 
young (hoots very downy. Leaves four inches long, one 
and a half broad. The flowers of tlie hermaphrodite 
plant are rather larger than in the male; berry round, 
lize of a fmall apple, yellow, pulpy ; feeds, from two to 
eight ripen, immerfed in the pulp, kidney-form, {harp 
on the inner ftrait edge. This ebony tree is a native of 
the woody and mountainous parts of the Circars, on the 
coaft of Coromandel; it grows to be very large, particu¬ 
larly the male tree, the wood of which is moil efteemed. 
It cafts its leaves in the cold feafon ; and the new leaves 
appear again, with the flow r ers, in April and May. The 
black part of the wood is too well known to require a 
particular defeription in this place ; it is only the center 
of the large trees that is blafik and valuable, and the 
quantity found is more or lefs according to the age of 
the tree. The outfide wood is white andfoft, and either 
decays foon, or is deftroyed by infefts, which leave the 
black untouched. The ripe fruit is eaten by the natives; 
it N aftringent, and not very palatable. 
11. Diofpyros fylvatica, or wild diofpyros; the tella- 
gada of the Telingas. Leaves three to fix inches long, 
two to three broad ; berry the fize of a nutmeg, round, 
pretty fmooth. Native of the mod uncultivated hilly 
parts of the Circars; on the mountains it grows to a pretty 
large tree ; flowers in July and Auguft. 
12. Diofpyros montana, or mountain diofpyros: the 
yerra-gadaoi the Telingas. Trunk crooked, covered with 
dark ruft-coloured, pretty fmooth, bark; leaves three to 
four inches long, two broad; flowers bowing, fmall, 
greenifh-white. This is a middle-fized tree, common 
among the mountains in the Circars; it flowers during 
the hot feafon, and does not call its leaves till the new 
ones come out. The timber of this tree is. variegated 
with dark and white coloured veins; it is hard, and very 
durable. 
13. Diofpyros chloroxylon, or yellow diofpyros; the 
nella-woolymcra of the Telingas. Leaves one and a half 
to two inches long, one broad ; flowers fmall, white ; 
berry fize of a cherry, ripens two or three feeds only, 
although there are the rudiments of eight. This is a 
middle-lize tree among the Orixa mountains ; but in the 
low lands towards the coaft it is only a large bufh ; 
flowers during the hot feafon. The wood of the larger 
trees is yellowilh, very hard and durable, and is ufed by 
the natives for various economical purpofes. The fruit, 
when ripe, is eaten raw, and is very palatable. 
14. Diofpyros cordifolia, or vein-leaved diofpyros; the 
kal-woolymtra of the Telingas. Leaves two inches long, 
three quarters broad. Berry round, fize of a fmall. 
crab-apple ; feeds, from fix to eight ripen. This is a 
pretty large tree among the mountains in the Circars; 
but in the low lands towards the Tea it is much fmaller; 
flowers moft part of the year. The wood, when large, 
is dark-coloured, hard, and durable ; and is ufed by the 
natives for many economical purpofes. 
The defeription of the five laii fpecies is taken from 
Roxburgh’s Plants of the Coaft of Coromandel, vol. i. 
46-50. 
Propagation and Culture. 1, 2. Thefe are both propa¬ 
gated by feeds, which will come up very well in the 
open ground ; but if they are fown upon a moderate hot¬ 
bed, the plants will come up much fooner, and make a 
greater progrefs; but in this cafe the feeds fhould be 
Town in pots or boxes ol earth, and plunged into the hot¬ 
bed, becaule the plants will not bear tranfplanting till 
autumn, when the leaves fall off; fo that, when the 
plants 
