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Ebony
Ebony Tree Forest at Krishnapura
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Ebenaceae Genus: Diospyros Species: D. ebenum
Binomial name
Diospyros ebenum Koenig ex Retz.

Ebony (Diospyros ebenum), also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony depending on its origin, is a tree in the genus Diospyros, native to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is noted for its heavy black, fine-grained heartwood. It is a medium-sized evergreen, reaching 20–25 m tall. The leaves are entire, about 6–15 cm long and 3–5 cm broad. The fruit is a small berry 2 cm diameter, similar to a small persimmon. This slow growing tree is native to dry and intermediate zones. Ebony can refer to: Originally, the tree species Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) and the black wood derived from it. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Krishnapura is small town, 3 km from Surathkal, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... Data Deficient (DD) is a category applied by the IUCN to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Orders See text. ... Families See text. ... Genera Diospyros Euclea The Ebenaceae are a family of flowering plants, which includes ebony and persimmon. ... Species 450-500; see text Diospyros is a genus (including what used to be Maba) of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. ... Latin name redirects here. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Species 450-500; see text Diospyros is a genus (including what used to be Maba) of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. ... This article is about the color. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... This article is about plant types. ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fruit. ... Species See text A Persimmon is any of a number of species of trees of the genus Diospyros, and the edible fruit borne by them. ...

Ebony heartwood is one of the most intensely black woods known, which, combined with its very high density (it is one of the very few woods that sink in water), fine texture, and ability to polish very smoothly, has made it very valuable as an ornamental wood.

Uses

Ebony has a long history of use, with carved pieces having been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. The word "ebony" derives from the Ancient Egyptian hbny, via the Greek έβενος (ebenos), by way of Latin and Middle English. The pyramids are among the most recognizable symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt. ... Spoken in: Ancient Egypt Language extinction: evolved into Demotic by 600 BC, into Coptic by AD 200, and was extinct (not spoken as a day-to-day language) by the 17th century. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the...

By the end of the 16th century, fine cabinets for the luxury trade were made of ebony in Antwerp. The dense hardness lent itself to refined moldings framing finely detailed pictorial panels with carving in very low relief (bas-relief), usually of allegorical subjects, or scenes taken from classical or Christian history. 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. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... For other uses, see Antwerp (disambiguation). ... Bas relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Ébéniste is the French word for a cabinetmaker, as menuisier denotes a woodcarver or chairmaker. ... Cabinet making is the practice of utilizing many woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture. ...

Modern uses are largely restricted to small sizes, particularly in musical instrument making, including piano and harpsichord keys, violin, oboe, guitar, and cello fingerboards, endpieces, pegs and chinrests. Traditionally, black piano and harpsichord keys were ebony, and the black pieces in chess sets were made from ebony, with rare boxwood or ivory being used for the white pieces. Modern east Midlands-style lace-making bobbins, also being small, are often made of ebony and look particularly decorative when bound with brass or silver wire. Due to its strength, many handgun grips are made of Ebony as well. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making music. ... Pianoforte redirects here. ... Harpsichord in the Flemish style A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... For other uses, see Oboe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ... Tuning Peg is a small peg that is used to hold a string for a stringed instrument. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Original Staunton chess pieces, left to right: pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king. ... Species About 70 species; see text Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. ...

In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka, the tree is called Karmara in the native Tulu language. Ebony tree forests which once covered large areas of these districts have shrunk significantly due to rapid urbanization. The wood of ebony is used as firewood, as it can burn even in moist conditions. Location of Dakshina Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... , For other uses, see Udupi (disambiguation). ... Districts are a form of local government in several countries. ... This article is about the Indian region. ... Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ...

As a result of unsustainable harvesting, many species of ebony are now considered threatened.

Ebony is now also a common name in Africa and several parts of northern Europe and America .

Gallery

Detail of ebony wood. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	A sculpture in ebony (African art). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (944x1852, 263 KB) Summary Photo by MisterMatt. ... Sculptor redirects here. ... Yoruba bronze head sculpture, Ife, Nigeria c. ...	An ebony clothes brush. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1529x537, 362 KB) Summary early or mid 20th century ebony clothes brush, made in Japan Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free...	Chess set - black pieces are ebony. Opening is ECO C70. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2572x1701, 2276 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Elephant carvings made from ebony. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

See also

Look up ebony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• African Blackwood
• Ebonol

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... Binomial name Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

External links

• Red List -- For recommendations found under the IUCN