Coromandel Wood is the wood of Diospyros hirsuta, a tree found in Sri Lanka. Its ground colour is chocolate brown, with black stripes and marks; it is hard, turns well, and makes very handsome furniture. Research Coromandel Wood
The date-plum or persimmon is the name given to several mostly tropical trees of the Ebony family (Diospyros) bearing edible fruit. The American date-plum (Diospyros virginiana) is a medium sized tree, often fifteen metres or more in height. Its fruit is much like a reddish-yellow plum, containing eight or ten seeds. Research Date-plum
Diospyros is a large genus of trees and shrubs of the family Ebenacea, from which ebony is obtained. They are natives of the warmer regions of the world. That ebony from Sri Lanka is the wood of Diospyros Ebenum; from India, of Diospyros melanoxylon and Diospyros Ebenaster; and that from Maurirituis Diospyros reticulata. The Diospyros Lotos is the Indian date-plum. It is by some supposed to have been the lotus-tree of the ancients, whose fruit was said to produce oblivion. Research Diospyros
Ebenaceae is a family of trees and shrubs many of which have economic importance by virtue of their hard, very dark coloured wood - such as Ebony, They mainly occur in tropical and subtropical countries and include the genera Diospyros, Euclaea and Tetraclis. The leaves are alternate, and generally coriaceous and shining; calyx monosepalous and persistent, with three or six equal divisions; corolla monopetalous, with imbricated divisions. The fruit is a globular berry containing a small number of compressed seeds. Research Ebenaceae
Ebony is the popular name of various plants of different genera, agreeing in having wood of a dark colour. The best-known ebony is derived from plants of the genusDiospyros, of the natural order Ebenaceae.
The most valuable is the heart-wood of Diospyros Ebenus, which grows in great abundance in the flat parts of Sri Lanka, and is of such size that logs of its heart-wood 60 cm in diameter and from 3 to 4.5 metres long are easily procured. Other varieties of valuable ebony are obtained from Diospyros Ebenaster of the East Indies and Diospyros melanoxylon of Coromandel. Ebony is hard, heavy, and durable, and admits of a fine polish or gloss. The most usual colour is black, red, or green. The best is jet black, free from veins, very heavy, astringent, and of an acrid pungent taste. On burning coals it yields an agreeable perfume, and when green it readily takes fire from its abundance of fat. It is wrought into toys, and used for mosaic and inlaid work, but is most familiar as the black keys on a piano keyboard. Research Ebony
The mabolo (Diospyros discolour) is a kind of persimmon tree originally from the Philippine Islands, and introduced into the East Indies and West Indies. It bears an edible fruit as large as a quince. Research Mabolo
Ebony is the heart-wood of various species of Diospyros, trees of the order Ebenaceae. It is a heavy, deep black wood used in piano keys and inlaying. Research Ebony
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Coromandel Wood
