Diospyros consolatae Chiov.

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ebenaceae > Diospyros

Characteristics

Much and stiffly branched erect evergreen shrub or small bushy tree 1.5-7(-9) m. tall, with fairly dense irregular crown; sometimes ± scandent inT8; bark grey to black, smooth, scaly or rough and longitudinally furrowed; heartwood said to be black.. Leaves drying pale brown or yellowish brown, often wilted on the tree or wilting soon after picking and consequently in herbarium specimens usually revolute or undulate at the margin, elliptic or obovate, 2.5-10.3 cm. long, 1.2-6 cm. wide, mostly subacute to subacuminate at the apex but sometimes broadly rounded or emarginate, cuneate to rounded at the base, glossy above, glabrous beneath; lateral nerves in 5-9(-10) pairs, indistinct; petiole 3-4 mm. long.. Male flowers 1-3 together in leaf-axils and axils of fallen leaves; pedicels 1-3 mm. long; calyx 4 mm. long, minutely puberulous outside; corolla white, campanulate, ± 8 mm. long; corolla-tube 4 mm. long and wide; corolla-lobes 4, semiorbicular, 4 mm. long, 5 mm. wide; stamens ± 20-30, 3 mm. long, glabrous; filaments cream, 0.5 mm. long; anthers paleyellow, lanceolate, 2 mm. long.. Female flowers solitary or in pairs in leaf-axils and in axils of fallen leaves, subsessile; calyx 7 mm. long, minutely puberulous outside; calyx-tube cup-shaped, 4 mm. long; calyx-lobes 4(-6), reduplicate and alternating with slightly decurrent sinuses; corolla white, becoming creamy white, eventually turning brown, falling at a touch when open, funnel-shaped, 8 mm. long, minutely puberulous outside; corolla-tube 4 mm. long, 2 mm. wide below, expanded above; corolla-lobes 4(-6), ± round, 4 mm. long and wide; staminodes ± 10-15, 3 mm. long, glabrous, attached to the corolla-tube and blocking the throat; ovary 2 mm. long and wide, minutely puberulous; styles 3-4, 3 mm. long; locules 6-8.. Fruit greenish yellow or yellow, globose, 1.5 cm. diameter, glabrous, slightly to very sticky and glossy, with fruiting calyx up to 1.2 cm. long, frilled and held at right-angles to the fruit, and distinctly to indistinctly lobed, the lobes up to 1.3 cm. wide.. Seeds 6-8 or fewer by abortion, very dark brown, 1.2 cm. long, 6 mm. wide, 4 mm. thick.. Fig. 2/4.
More
Leaves subcoriaceous, drying pale brown or yellowish–brown, often wilted on the tree or wilting soon after picking, and consequently in herbarium specimens usually with revolute or undulate margins; lamina 4·5 x 2·5–1·0 x 4·5 cm., elliptic or obovate, apex usually subacute to subacuminate, sometimes broadly rounded or emarginate; lower surface glabrous, lateral nerves in 5–9 pairs, indistinct.
Corolla c. 0·8 cm. long, infundibuliform; minutely puberulous outside; tube 0·4 cm. long, 0·2 cm. wide below, expanded above; lobes 4(–6), 0·4 x 0·4 cm., suborbicular.
Calyx c. 0·7 cm. long, minutely puberulous outside, tube cup–shaped, 0·4 cm. long; lobes 4(6), reduplicate and alternating with slightly decurrent sinuses.
Corolla c. 0·8 cm. long, campanulate; tube no longer than the calyx, 0·4–0·4 cm.; lobes 4, 0·4 x 0·5 cm., hemi–orbicular.
Staminodes c. 15, 0·3 cm. long, glabrous, attached to the corolla–tube, exserted and blocking the throat.
Male flowers 1–3 together in leaf–axils and in axils of fallen leaves; pedicels 0·1–0·3 cm. long.
Female flowers solitary or in pairs in leaf axils and in axils of fallen leaves, subsessile.
Much and stiffly branched, erect evergreen shrub or small bushy tree up to 7 (9) m. tall.
Ovary 0·2 x 0·2 cm., minutely puberulous; styles 3–4, 0·3 cm. long; locules 6–8.
Seeds 6 or 8 or fewer by abortion, 1·2 x 0·6 x 0·4 cm., very dark brown.
Stamens c. 30, 0·3 cm. long, glabrous; filaments 0·05 cm. long.
Fruiting calyx up to 1–2 cm. long, indistinctly lobed.
Calyx c. 0·4 cm. long, minutely puberulous outside.
Fruit c. 1·5 x 1·5 cm., globose, glabrous.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 3.75 - 6.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Mostly found in coastal thicket, more rarely in woodland further inland, at elevations from sea level to around 100 metres.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses charcoal food gene source wood
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Diospyros consolatae world distribution map, present in Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, and Tanzania, United Republic of

Conservation status

Diospyros consolatae threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:322262-1
WFO ID wfo-0000648712
COL ID 36DZJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Diospyros vaughaniae Diospyros consolatae