ebony tree

[2] Like the marula, the tree is favoured by the Bantu, who will leave them growing in their cultivated lands in order to harvest the fruit. As a result of unsustainable harvesting, many species yielding ebony are now considered threatened. It grows in mutualism with termites, which aerate the soil around its roots but do not eat the living wood; in turn, the tree provides protection for the termites. By the end of the 16th century, fine cabinets for the luxury trade were made of ebony in Antwerp. Corrections? Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. Jackalberry trees often grow on termite mounds, preferring deep alluvial soils, but are not uncommon on sandy soils in savanna. Bombay ebony (D. montana) yields a yellowish gray, soft, but durable wood.It is native to India. Diospyros senegalensis Perr. [citation needed]. Jamaica, American, or green ebony is produced by the unrelated Brya ebenus, a leguminous tree or shrub; the heartwood is a rich dark brown, very heavy, exceedingly hard, and capable of receiving a high polish. Many plectrums, or guitar picks, are made from this black wood. "Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. Traditionally, the black pieces in chess sets were made from ebony, with boxwood or ivory being used for the white pieces. Native to Angola, D. dendo is a valuable timber tree with very black and hard heartwood known as black ebony, as billetwood, or as Gabon, Lagos, Calabar, or Niger ebony. Although the centre of the tree alone is used, reduced logs 30 cm to almost 1 metre (1 to 3 feet) in diameter can be obtained. It was employed by the ancient kings of India for sceptres and images and, because of its supposed antagonism to poison, for drinking cups. Due to its strength, many handgun grips and rifle fore-end tips are made of ebony, as are the butts of pool cues. Species of ebony include Diospyros ebenum (Ceylon ebony), native to southern India and Sri Lanka; Diospyros crassiflora (Gabon ebony), native to western Africa; and Diospyros celebica (Sulawesi ebony), native to Indonesia and prized for its luxuriant, multi-colored wood grain. The tree flowers in the rainy season; the flowers are imperfect, with genders on separate trees, and are cream-colored. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Morabaraba game board made of ebony, handcrafted in Malawi. It is a member of the family Ebenaceae, and is related to the true ebony (D. ebenum) and edible persimmon (D. kaki). Sadly though, Texas ebony is often mis-cast in the landscape as a small feature. Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, most commonly yielded by several different species in the genus Diospyros , which also contains the persimmons. Diospyros sabiensis Hiern Herodotus states that the Ethiopians every three years sent a tribute of 200 logs of ebony to Persia. [4], Ebony, when ground into fine dust (for example, during sawing), results in a flammable and toxic powder which can float about in air for several days. [3], An ebony and rosewood expert at the Missouri Botanical Garden calls the Madagascar wood trade the "equivalent of Africa's blood diamonds". The highly ornamental, glossy, dark green foliage is its most striking feature. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Bombay ebony (D. montana) yields a yellowish gray, soft, but durable wood. Much of the East Indian ebony is yielded by the Coromandel ebony (D. melanoxylon), a large tree attaining a height of 18–24 metres (59–79 feet) and a circumference of 2.4–3 metres (about 8–10 feet) and having irregular branches and oblong leaves. Jackals are fond of the fruit, hence the common names. Diospyros mespiliformis, the jackalberry (also known as African ebony and by its Afrikaans name jakkalsbessie), is a large dioecious evergreen[1] tree found mostly in the savannas of Africa. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Mature trees have dark gray fissured bark. Native to Angola, D. dendo is a valuable timber tree with very black and hard heartwood known as black ebony, as billetwood, or as Gabon, Lagos, Calabar, or Niger ebony. The calamander tree (D. quaesita) produces an ebony wood known in Sri Lanka as calamander. The wood ranges in color from light reddish-brown to a very dark brown. In 2012, the Gibson Guitar company was raided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for violations of the Lacey Act of 1900, which prohibits the importation of threatened woods and other materials. On average the fruit contains 2-5 brown seeds. The heartwood excels in fineness and in the intensity of its dark colour. The tree is distinguished by the width of its trunk and its jet-black charred-looking bark, beneath which the wood is pure white until the heart is reached. The roots are consumed to purge parasites and are thought to be a remedy for leprosy. The heart wood is fine-grained and strong, and is often used for making wood floors and furniture. The fruit remain embedded in the persistent calyx lobes. It is a member of the family Ebenaceae, and is related to the true ebony (D. ebenum) and edible persimmon (D. kaki Trunks of the tree are used for canoes. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Within a short time, such cabinets were also being made in Paris, where their makers became known as ébénistes, which remains the French term for a cabinetmaker. The female tree bears fruit in the dry season and these are eaten by many wild animals; they are oval-shaped, yellow or purple when ripe[2] and about 20–30 mm in diameter. Ebony has a long history of use, with carved pieces having been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs.[2]. ex A. DC. They are sometimes preserved, can be dried and ground into a flour, and are often used for brewing beer and brandy. ex A. DC", Blue Planet Biomes article on the Jackalberry, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diospyros_mespiliformis&oldid=982271998, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 October 2020, at 04:08. Most people prefer letting them dry before eating, and the dry ones are stored and consumed as a snack when the fresh fruit goes out of season. In Sri Lanka, ebony is a protected species and harvesting and sale of ebony is illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Omissions? Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs.The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. The fruit is edible for humans; its flavor has been described as lemon-like, with a chalky consistency when unripe, and sweet fleshy when ripe. [1] The word ebony comes from the Ancient Egyptian hbny, through the Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), into Latin and Middle English. An adult tree reaches an average of 4 to 6 metres in height, though occasionally trees reach 25 metres. It is finely-textured and has a mirror finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Ovambo people call the fruit of the jackalberry eenyandi and use it to distill ombike, their traditional liquor.[4]. Texas Ebony is native to the lowland regions of the Gulf of Mexico from southern Texas to northeastern Mexico. Mauritius ebony, Diospyros tessellaria, was largely exploited by the Dutch in the 17th century. Some species in the genus Diospyros yield an ebony with similar physical properties, but striped rather than evenly black (Diospyros ebenum). …legs, and handsome walnut and ebony cabinets and cupboards with carved decoration on the pediments, friezes, and corners and sometimes inlaid with marble or, …carved relief decoration of the ebony furniture is floral in character and closely related to the flowering-tree style of contemporary Indo-Dutch embroidered bedspreads and hangings in which the tulip is prominent.…, …keys and stained hardwood or ebony for the “black” keys. Diospyros mespiliformis, the jackalberry (also known as African ebony and by its Afrikaans name jakkalsbessie), is a large dioecious evergreen tree found mostly in the savannas of Africa. Jackals are fond of the fruit, hence the common names. It occurs in high densities from subtropical to tropical regions. The word ebony comes from the Ancient Egyptian hbny, through the Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), into Latin and Middle English. Its closeness of grain, great hardness, and fine hazel-brown colour, mottled and striped with black, render it valuable for veneering and furniture making. Ebony, wood of several species of trees of the genus Diospyros (family Ebenaceae), widely distributed in the tropics. The wood of the jackalberry is almost impervious to termite damage. The jackalberry is the largest member of its genus in the southern subtropics, and is northwards present to the Sahara. Due to the high toxicity of ebony in powdered form, its use in construction work requires government certification in several South Asian countries. Modern uses are largely restricted to small items, such as crucifixes, and musical instrument parts, including black piano, Organ (music), and harpsichord keys, violin, viola, mandolin, guitar, double bass, and cello fingerboards, tailpieces, pegs, chinrests, and bow frogs. Diospyros melanoxylon, the Coromandel ebony or East Indian ebony, is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae native to India and Sri Lanka; it has a hard, dry bark.Its common name derives from Coromandel, the coast of southeastern India.Locally it is known as temburini or by its Hindi name tendu.In Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam, it is known as kendu.

Woman In Black Theatre Cast, Bugs Bunny Quotes Stinker, Egypt Live Tv, Jake Cronenworth Espn, Sarafina Full Movie 123movies, Lisa Jakub Now, Colossal Sentence, Westtown School Logo, I Love Lucy On Netflix,