WorldFloraDB - Diospyros ebenum

Characteristics

Trees, to 20(-30) m. Bark dark gray to black, shallowly furrowed, flaking in rectangular pieces from summits of ridges. Leaves persistent; petiole 0.4-0.6(-0.8) cm; blade dark green and glossy adaxially, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, 6-10(-15) × (2-)3-5 cm, thin, apex rounded to obtuse or barely short-pointed, abaxial surface glabrous, without basilaminar glands. Inflorescences solitary flowers or 3-15-flowered cymes, borne on twigs of current season. Flowers 1.2-1.8 cm; sepals 4; petals 4; stamens 16(-32); anthers dehiscent along their entire length; pistillate flowers with 8 staminodes; styles 4, connate to near stigmas; ovary glabrous. Berries black, not glaucous, depressed-globose to globose, (3-)4-5 cm diam., glabrous. Seeds brown to black, trianguloid-ellipsoid, to 1.5 cm. 2n = 30.

More

A tree which loses its leaves. It is a tall tree. The bark is grey. The wood is hard, black and heavy. The leaves are alternate and have short leaf stalks. The leaves are oval or oblong and leathery. They are entire and glossy. The male and female flowers are separate on the same tree. The flowers do not have leaf stalks. They male flowers are in clusters and the female flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. The fruit is an oval berry. They are 2-2.5 cm across. They have a rusty brown surface. There are 3 to 8 seeds.

Life form

perennial

Growth form

tree

Growth support

free-standing

Foliage retention

evergreen

Sexuality

dioecy

Pollination

-

Spread

-

Mature width (meter)

-

Mature height (meter)

20.0

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

-

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

-

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

-

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

c3

Environment

It is a tropical plant. It grows in humid coastlands and lowland forests. It needs rich, moist soils and a protected sunny position. It is damaged by drought and frost. In XTBG Yunnan.

More

Humid, coastal and lowland forests. An understorey tree of dry evergreen forests.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

CAUTION: There have been reports of toxic effects when large amounts of fruit are eaten.

Uses	fodder material medicinal ornamental timber wood
Edible	fruits
Therapeutic use	Astringents (bark), Diarrhea (bark), Dyspepsia (bark), Eye drops (bark), Anemia (flower), Aphrodisiacs (flower), Cough (flower), Diarrhea (flower), Dyspepsia (flower), Disorder of ejaculation (flower), Hematologic diseases (flower), Leukorrhea (flower), Night blindness (flower), Scabies (flower), Skin diseases (flower), Splenic diseases (flower), Splenomegaly (flower), Urinary tract infections (flower), Urologic diseases (flower), Astringents (fruit), Blister (fruit), Diabetes mellitus (fruit), Diarrhea (fruit), Digestive system diseases (fruit), Diuretics (fruit), Flatulence (fruit), Laxatives (fruit), Pharyngitis (fruit), Urination disorders (fruit), Vomiting (fruit), Wound healing (fruit), Wounds and injuries (fruit), Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (leaf), Astringents (leaf), Corneal diseases (leaf), Diabetes mellitus (leaf), Diarrhea (leaf), Diuretics (leaf), Dysentery (leaf), Dyspepsia (leaf), Endophthalmitis (leaf), Eye drops (leaf), Fever (leaf), Flatulence (leaf), Hemostatics (leaf), Laxatives (leaf), General tonic for rejuvenation (leaf), Scabies (leaf), Wound healing (leaf), Astringents (root), Cholera (root), Corneal diseases (root), Diabetes mellitus (root), Diarrhea (root), Diuretics (root), Dysentery (root), Dyspepsia (root), Endophthalmitis (root), Eye drops (root), Fever (root), Flatulence (root), Hemostatics (root), Laxatives (root), Malaria (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Snake bites (root), Wound healing (root), Anti-bacterial agents (seed), Contraceptive agents (seed), Contraceptives, oral (seed), Cough (seed), Diarrhea (seed), Dysentery (seed), Disorder of ejaculation (seed), Hemagglutination (seed), Jaundice (seed), Skin diseases (seed), Sterilization, reproductive (seed), Typhoid fever (seed), Urologic diseases (seed), Cough (stem), Disorder of ejaculation (stem), Skin diseases (stem), Urologic diseases (stem), Astringent (unspecified), Itch (unspecified), Lithontriptic (unspecified), Piscicide (unspecified), Ringworm (unspecified), Attenuant (unspecified), Excrescence (unspecified), Leprosy (unspecified), Blood (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Laxative (unspecified), Mental (unspecified), Nerves (unspecified), Urogenital (unspecified), Insanity (unspecified), Palpitation (unspecified), Intoxicant (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Astringents (unspecified), Fishes, poisonous (unspecified), Urinary bladder calculi (unspecified), Anti-infective agents (unspecified), Cholera (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Eye diseases (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Kidney calculi (unspecified), Menorrhagia (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified), Ulcer (unspecified), Urination disorders (unspecified), Urologic diseases (unspecified)
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. The seed should be planted deeply.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
Germination temperacture (C°)	-
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	25 - 35
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-

Images

Distribution

Identifiers

LSID	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:322350-1
WFO ID	wfo-0000648800
COL ID	6D99D
BDTFX ID	-
INPN ID	707949
Wikipedia (EN)	Link
Wikipedia (FR)	Link

Synonyms

Diospyros ebenum Diospyros melanoxylon Diospyros membranacea Diospyros timoriana Diospyros assimilis Diospyros glaberrima Diospyros laurifolia Diospyros reticulata var. timoriana

WorldFloraDB 2024

Diospyros ebenum Koenig ex Retz.

Indian ebony (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ebenaceae > Diospyros