Coral

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The following quote comes from Ma Huan's chapter on Lambri, on the island of Sumatra:

In the shallow water, about 2 zhang deep [about 20’], at the side of the mountain there grows a marine tree; the people there recover it, and sell it as a valuable commodity; this is coral. The largest trees are 2 or 3 chi [about 24”] in height. At the top of the roots, there is a single large root as big as one’s thumb; it is deep black like ink, and has a soft sheen like jade-stone; a little higher up it forks out into attractive fluttering branches. The large piece at the top of the roots can be cut into hat-buttons [and other such] articles.

其山邊二丈上下淺水內生海樹，被人撈取為寶物貨賣，即珊瑚樹也。其樹大者高二、三尺，根頭有大拇指大，如墨之沉黑，似玉之溫潤，稍有椏枝，婆娑可愛。根頭大處可碾為帽珠器物。

- J. V. G. Mills, Ma Huan, Ying-yai sheng-lan, TheOverall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433] (Cambridge: Hakluyt Society, 1970), Lambri chapter, pp. 123-124. (See this passage in context).