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Nomenclature etc. EBENACEAE. Diospyros ebenum, D. melanoxylon, etc. Trade and local names: D. ebenum: Ceylon ebony, East-Indian ebomy (GB, trade); Ceylon Ebenholz (DE); kalu-wara, karun-kali, tendu, ebans, abnus (IN, LK). D. melanoxylon: Indian ebony (GB, trade); Indisches Ebenholz (DE); kadumberiya, tumbi, bis-tendu (IN). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically black; without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.9–1.05 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in a diagonal and/or radial pattern (sometimes radial) or no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 120–160 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 4–15. Average vessel element length 250–850 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–5 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (black, some reddish-brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, distinctly bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays. Bands fine. Bands predominantly uniseriate, some possibly indicating growth boundaries (marginal?). Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–8.
Rays. Rays 15–20 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate or multiseriate (sporadically), 1–2 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells or mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square or procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives leachable when in contact with water. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Diospyros ebenum. • Tangential section. Diospyros ebenum. • Radial section. Diospyros ebenum. • Crystals. Diospyros ebenum. prismatic crystals almost exclusively in rays (CRr), very few in axial parenchyma (CRp). CRr. CRp.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
