Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz

Diospyros spp. (Schwarze Ebenhölzer, black ebony - Asien)

Nomenclature etc. EBENACEAE. Diospyros ebenum, D. melanoxylon etc. Trade and local names: D. ebenum: Ceylon ebony, East-Indian ebomy (GB, trade); Ceylon Ebenholz (D); kalu-wara, karun-kali, tendu, ebans, abnus (IND, CL). D. melanoxylon: Indian ebony (GB, trade); Indisches Ebenholz (D); kadumberiya, tumbi, bis-tendu (IND). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to Indomalesia.

General. Heartwood basically purple, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.9–1.05 g/cm³.

Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 120–160 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 4–40. 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 in heartwood vessels 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 reticulate, fine, up to three cells wide. Bands predominantly uniseriate, some possibly limiting growth increments (marginal). Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–8.

Rays. Rays 15–20 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate or multiseriate, also if only few. Rays composed of two or more cell types. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1, or 2–4. Sporadically also biseriate rays.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray 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.