diffuse porous page
DIFFUSE POROUS EBONY

NOTE: unless otherwise specifically stated, all of the images shown on this
page are of 1/4" square end grain cross sections shown at 12X with the top
of the image towards the bark and the bottom towards the pith so that
earlywood is towards the bottom of the growth rings and latewood is towards the top

to see all species with links to their anatomy page go here: species links

general characteristics of ebony

• pores: fairly sparse, generally small, always clearly diffuse porous, frequently in multiples (usually 2, sometimes more) arranged radially. Some reports say there can be radial rows of more than 4 joined pores but I have not experience that.
• parenchyma: banded parenchyma but it is frequently barely or not visible to with a 10X loupe and almost never to the naked eye
• rays: not generally visible with a 10X loupe, pretty much never visible to the naked eye
• growth rings: indistinct and/or non-existent (these are tropical hardwoods

   

• black and white ebony / Diospyros embryopteris --- this piece and the one to the right of it are from nearby areas of the same sample
• black and white ebony / Diospyros embryopteris --- this piece and the one to the left of it are from nearby areas of the same sample

     

• Gaboon ebony (Cameroun ebony) / Diospyros spp.
• Gaboon ebony (Indian ebony) / Diospyros ebenum
• Gaboon ebony (Madagascar ebony) / Diospyros perrierii

     

• black ebony / Diospyros crassiflora
• Gaboon ebony ("Nigerian ebony") / Diospyros crassiflora
• Gaboon ebony ("Nigerian ebony") / Diospyros crassiflora

     

• Indian ebony (tendu) / Diospyros tomentosa
• Indian ebony (tendu) / Diospyros tomentosa
• kalimantan ebony / Diospyros subtruncata

   

   

   

   

• macassar ebony / Diospyros celebica --- heartwood of a piece; this pic has been deliberately lightened in an attempt to get the characteristics to show
• macassar ebony / Diospyros celebica --- sapwood of the same piece


• macassar ebony / Diospyros celebica --- heartwood of a piece
• macassar ebony / Diospyros celebica --- sapwood of the same piece


• macassar ebony / Diospyros macassar
• macassar ebony / Diospyros macassar


• macassar ebony / Diospyros spp.
• macassar ebony / Diospyros spp.

   

• African ebony (benin) / Diospyros mespiliformis
• Kalimantan ebony / Diospyros spp.

     

• mun ebony / Diospyros spp.
• mun ebony / Diospyros spp.
• mun ebony / Diospyros spp.

     

• New Guinea striped ebony / Diospyros spp.
• New Guinea striped ebony / Diospyros insularis
• New Guinea striped ebony / Diospyros insularis

     

• New Guinea ebony / Diospyros papuana
• Philippine ebony (mabolo) / Diospyros blancoi
• sulawesi ebony / Diospyros spp.

     

 

• Malaysian blackwood / Diospyros spp.
• Malaysian blackwood / Diospyros spp.
• Malaysian blackwood / Diospyros spp.


• Malaysian blackwood / Diospyros spp.

     

• Guyana ebony / Swartzia bannia
• Guyana ebony / Swartzia bannia
• Guyana ebony / Swartzia bannia

   

• Brazilian ebony / Swartzia spp.
• myrtle ebony / Diospyros pentamera

 

• Namibia / Euclea pseudebenus --- this is in the ebony family (Ebenaceae). This pic is deliberately overexposed, otherwise it just showed up as pure black.