EBOLI, ANNA DE MENDOZA, Princess of ( 1541) 92). A Spanish courtier, with the further titles of Duchess of Franeavilla and Princess of Alelito. She was a prominent and influential figure at the Court of Philip IT. of Spain. and played a ride in many of the intrigues of the time. She is best known as ,a character in Schiller': drama Don Car/os.
EIVON'ir (older form than, OF. chine, Lat. eben us. Ck. '01Evos. chenos, ebony: probably of Sem, origin : ef. Deb. pl. hanim. lit. dark, ultimately probably of Egyptian origin).
The hart, heavy, and dark-colored heart-wood of a number of species of trees. The genus pyros, of the order Ehenacea.. is the source of ost of the ebony of commerce. The best qual ity is obtained from Diospyros obeneran. a large tree of India. Ceylon. and other tropical coun tries. Logs of ebony of this species. 10 to 15 feet ill length. with the heart-wood 2 feet in diameter, are common. Ebony of good quality is obtained in Coromandel from Diospyros melanoxylon, and also from Diospyros tomentosa and other spe cies of India. Madagascar. and 'Mauritius. The Calamander wood is from Diospyros hirsuta; the Cadoobergia wood is a peculiar kind of WOO(' with striped effect obtained from Diospyros Ebony is furnished by the allied Maha ebtrans of Molucca, and by a number of trees of the order Legnminosx. Ainong these latter may
be ntentioned a variety obtained in Abyssinia from Millettia. and the West Indian ebony (Brya chenus). Thc American species of Diospyros (Diospyros Virginiana and Diospyros Texana) often supply a fairly good quality of ebony. The wood is chiefly used as a veneer by cabinet makers. It is very heavy, and takes a high polish. The beauties this WI md were well known to the Greeks and Romans, Who inlaid it with ivory for contrast. It is mentioned in the Scriptures as an article of Tyrian importa tion. The wood is somewhat pungent, and was once thought to have medicinal value. Ebony is exported in considerable quantity from Egypt, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Mauritius, Ceylon. India, and Jamaica. What is known as 'bastard ebony' is exported in considerable quantities from Brazil. it is produced by the tree Jacaranda ovalifolia. True ebony wood is so intensely (lark in color that the term 'black as ebony' is a well known colloquialism. See JACARANDA WOOD.