''Diospyros celebica'' (commonly known as black ebony or Makassar ebony) is a species of

flowering Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

tree in the family Ebenaceae that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the island of

Sulawesi Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The common name Makassar ebony originates from the main seaport on the island,

Makassar Makassar ( ), formerly Ujung Pandang ( ), is the capital of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, ...

Description

The tree grows up to high under favourable circumstances, although such trees are rarely seen nowadays. Macassar01

The heartwood of ''D. celebica'' shows a wide striped pattern of dark brown and the typical black of ebony wood. As macassar ebony, it has been traded since the colonial period and is regarded as a valuable wood for a variety of

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...

Distribution

''D. celebica'' is endemic to

. It has been extensively logged for its wood since colonial times and its current conservation status is considered "vulnerable".

Uses

The wood of ''D. celebica'' is the source of the variegated ebony variety macassar ebony. The wood is often defective, showing cracks, and in particular heart shakes and splits. It is not easy to dry and is best given ample time for this. Converting logs into boards as soon as possible is recommended. It is considered a highly valuable wood for turnery, fine cabinet work, and

joinery Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives ...

. It is also used as a wood in fingerboards for guitars and other related instruments. Japan used to be the main importer of this wood and is much sought for posts () in traditional Japanese houses.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1754032 celebica Endemic flora of Sulawesi Trees of Sulawesi Plants described in 1933