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41. EBENACEAE<br />
Diospyros malabarica (Lam.) Kostel. Allg. Med.—Pharm. Fl. 3: 1099. 1831-6. (Fig. 187).<br />
Diospyros glutenifera Wall.—Diospyros embryopteris Pers.—Diospyros peragrina Gamble—<br />
Diospyros glutinosa Koen.—Embryopteris glutenifera Roxb.—Embryopteris geletinifera G.<br />
Don.—Garcinia malabarica Desr.<br />
Engl. Riber Ebony; Sinh. Timbiri; Tarn. Kattatti, Kavikattai, Panichai, Pattuppallam.<br />
Tumbi, Tuvarai; Hindi Gab, Kalatendu, Makurkendi, Tendu; Sans. Anilsara,,<br />
Atimuktaka, Dantasatha, Kalaskandha, Kendu, Krishnasara, .Krishnatvaka, Nilasara, Rava.<br />
Ravana, Shitisaraka, Sphurjaka, Sphurjana, Shrishta, Susara, Svaryaka, Syandana, Syandanavhaya,<br />
Tinduka, Tinduki, Tindula, Tuvara, Virupaka.<br />
A moderate-sized or large tree with a blackish bark, flaking off in pieces and<br />
many spreading branches, forming a dense, wide head, young parts silky; leaves simple,<br />
alternate, without stipules, numerous, spreading distichously, persistent, 12.5—17.5 cm long,<br />
25—9 cm broad, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, usually tapering, rarely rounded at base, obtuse<br />
or subacute, glabrous and shining, veins prominent when dried; petioles 1—2 cm long, thick<br />
rigid; flowers small, regular, unisexual, yellow, sweet—scented, dioecious, male flowers<br />
rather small, 2—5 together, on short pedicels in shortly pedunculate, pubescent, racemose cymes;<br />
sepals 4, fused into a shallowly cup-shaped calyx, silky, segments very broad; petals 4, fused into<br />
a broadly companulate corolla, very thick, lobes very short, spreading; stamens 24—64, usually<br />
40, equal, anthers linear, filaments extremely short; ovary reduced to a lobed fleshy disc; female<br />
flowers solitary, much larger than the male, 2.5 cm diameter on short pedicels; sepals 4, fused,<br />
segments deep, erect, broadly ovate, cordate and dilated at the base, acute; petals 4, fused into<br />
a campanulate corolla, lobes deep, cordate, obtuse, recurved; staminodes 4—16, adnate to<br />
corolla-tube; ovary superior, hairy, 8-Iocular with a solitary ovule in each chamber, styles 4,<br />
stigmas lobed and undulated; fruit large, 3.7—8.7 cm diameter, subglobose, very thick, covered<br />
with a hard, rusty mealiness readily detached, yellow, calyx enlarged, spreading or reflexed,<br />
pericarp thin, pulp viscid and glutinous; seeds 4—8 oblong, flattened, smooth, reddish brown,<br />
embedded in the pulp.<br />
Flowers during May.<br />
Illustrations. Edward, Bot. Reg.,p/. 499. 1820; Beddome, Flor. Sylvat.p/. 69. 1868—73;<br />
Roxburgh, Coram. PI. 1: pi. 70. 1795; Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pis. 843 and 844. 1843—45;<br />
Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. PI., pi. 586. 1933; .Bentley and Trimen, Med. PI., pi 168.<br />
1880; Herb. Peradeniya., drawing.<br />
Distribution. Occurs throughout India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Malay Archipelago and<br />
Java. It is very common in Ceylon in the dry low-country, specially by streams.<br />
India. Dhaka, Clarke 16991D, April 1872. Chota Nagpore, Ranchi, Clarke 203335.<br />
Oct. 1873; Clarke 20333/4, Oct. 1873. Sivalik and Jaunsar Div., Kalsi, Shankar 92, June 1920.<br />
Malabar, Concan, etc., Stocks, Law, etc. S. India, Barber 2846. Pen. Ind. Orient., Herb. Wight<br />
1711, Kew Distribution 1866—7. Ceylon. Northern Prov., Mullaitivu, Hensman, Feb. 1927.<br />
Central Prov., Peradeniya, F. W. de Silva 34, April 1928; Wright, 1907. Uva Prov., Uma Oya,<br />
Thwaites CP. 1915.<br />
Uses.' The juice of the unripe fruit makes an excellent application on fresh wounds<br />
owing to its high tannin content. An infusion of the fruit is used as a gargle Tor aphthae and sore<br />
throat. The oil extracted from the seeds is used with success in diarrhoea and dysentery.<br />
The viscid juice of the fruit is used for daubing the bottoms of boats and an infusion<br />
of it for staining fishnets.<br />
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