ebony tree

a kind of tree; either: Dalbergia melanoxylon, found in Aftica, spiny tree up to 6-7 m. high (zebrawood); leaves are compound, with the leaflets nearly opposite one another on the spine; white flowers that hang in loose clusters, that give way to flat, papery seedpods about 6 cm long and 1 cm wide; or: Asian ebony: Diospyros ebenum, found in India and Sri Lanka, grows to 10 m. tall, with evergreen leaves; inner part of trunk is black, which makes it an attractive wood for carvers, who inlay the wood with ivory