Ebenaceae
Diospyros

Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A.DC.

First published in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 8: 672 (1844)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, Arabian Peninsula. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Ebenaceae, F. White & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen tree 5-27(-35) (exceptionally 45) m. tall, with spreading densely rounded crown, but occasionally flowering as a shrub only 1-3 m. tall; has been described as mango-like with leaves near the ground.
Morphology Stem
Bole 1.5 m. and crown 7.5 m.; d.b.h. 38-60 cm. and presumably more; bark blackish or dark brown, very rough, longitudinally channelled, flaking in irregular scales; slash pinkish brown or black outside, pink inside ( fide F.W.T.A.); branchlets knobby, tomentellous with pinkish adpressed hairs when young, glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves drying pale reddish brown when young, dull grey-green above and yellowish green beneath when old, mostly narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic or oblong to oblanceolate-elliptic, 3.5-19 cm. long, 1.5-7.5 cm. wide, mostly acute to subacuminate, less often obtuse or rounded at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, subcoriaceous, minutely strigulose puberulous with adpressed and spreading flexuose hairs beneath; lateral nerves 15-20 pairs, ascending at 45°, indistinct, together with the tertiary nerves and venation forming a reticulum ± prominent on both sides; petiole 7-10 mm. long, the margins ± revolute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers subsessile in 3’ s on peduncles 4-6 mm. long arising from the axils of deciduous reduced leaves at the base of the current year’ s growth or of the first-formed normal leaves; flower-buds adpressed silvery-silky velvety; calyx 3 mm. long; calyx-lobes 4-5, triangular, 1.5 mm. long; corolla white or greenish yellow, sweetly scented, narrowly urceolate, 6 mm. long, sericeous-tomentose outside; corolla-tube 5 mm. long, glabrous inside and thickened at the throat; corolla-lobes 4-5, triangular, 1 mm. long; stamens ± 14, 4 mm. long, included; filaments 1 mm. long, glabrous, inserted on the receptacle; anthers narrowly lanceolate, apiculate, glabrous except for a few hairs on the connective; rudimentary ovary minute, tomentose. Female flowers subsessile, solitary or rarely 2-3 together, in the axils of reduced leaves at the base of the current year’ s shoot; calyx and corolla similar to the male but calyx 8 mm. long and lobes triangular-cordate with undulate-plicate reflexed margins; corolla 1-1.2 cm. long; staminodes 6-12, filiform, 4 mm. long, glabrous, inserted at the base of the corolla; ovary 3 mm. in diameter with style scarcely differentiated; locules 4 or 6; stigma sessile.
sex Male
Male flowers subsessile in 3’ s on peduncles 4-6 mm. long arising from the axils of deciduous reduced leaves at the base of the current year’ s growth or of the first-formed normal leaves; flower-buds adpressed silvery-silky velvety; calyx 3 mm. long; calyx-lobes 4-5, triangular, 1.5 mm. long; corolla white or greenish yellow, sweetly scented, narrowly urceolate, 6 mm. long, sericeous-tomentose outside; corolla-tube 5 mm. long, glabrous inside and thickened at the throat; corolla-lobes 4-5, triangular, 1 mm. long; stamens ± 14, 4 mm. long, included; filaments 1 mm. long, glabrous, inserted on the receptacle; anthers narrowly lanceolate, apiculate, glabrous except for a few hairs on the connective; rudimentary ovary minute, tomentose.
sex Female
Female flowers subsessile, solitary or rarely 2-3 together, in the axils of reduced leaves at the base of the current year’ s shoot; calyx and corolla similar to the male but calyx 8 mm. long and lobes triangular-cordate with undulate-plicate reflexed margins; corolla 1-1.2 cm. long; staminodes 6-12, filiform, 4 mm. long, glabrous, inserted at the base of the corolla; ovary 3 mm. in diameter with style scarcely differentiated; locules 4 or 6; stigma sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit yellow, globose, 1.5-2.5 cm. diameter, shiny, verruculose, at first adpressed ferruginous hairy, at length glabrous save for a few hairs near the base of the persistent style, soft, edible with ± dry sweet flesh; calyx patelliform or slightly cyathiform, the lobes with recurved strongly undulate margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3-6, reddish brown or dark, compressed oblong-ellipsoid, ± 10 × 6.5 × 4.5 mm., rugulose when dry; the endosperm deeply ruminate.
Figures
Fig. 3/27.
Habitat
Moist semideciduous forest, riverine forest, scattered tree grassland and interfaces with fringing forest or woodland also dryer Combretum woodland, woodland in rocky places, semi-evergreen thicket on lava and dry scrub; 0-1500 m.
Distribution
K2 K4 K7 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 Z widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal to Angola and across to Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Yemen, south to S. Mozambique, South Africa (Transvaal) and Namibia but absent from all but the northern fringes of the Guineo-Congolian Regionalso in U 4 but almost certainly introducedhas been cultivated in W. Australia
[FTEA]

Ebenaceae, F. White. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Forest and savanna tree up to 90 ft. high
Morphology General Bark
Bark rough, dark brown or black, muricate
Morphology Trunk Slash
Slash black outside, pink inside
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, sweet-scented
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit yellowish.
[FWTA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/173967/1406816

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Ebenaceae, F. White. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen tree up to 25 m. high or more, rarely flowering as a shrub c. 3 m. high.
Morphology General Crown
Crown dense, rounded.
Morphology Bole
Bole sometimes fluted at the base.
Morphology General Bark
Bark dark brown or black, rough, longitudinally fissured, exfoliating in square scales.
Morphology Branches
Young branchlets tomentellous with pinkish appressed hairs, glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subcoriaceous, old leaves drying dull grey–green above and yellowish–green beneath, young leaves drying pale reddish–brown; lamina 6 x 2·2–14 x 4·5 cm., mostly oblong–elliptic or oblanceolate–elliptic; apex usually acute to subacuminate, rarely obtuse or rounded; base cuneate or rounded; lower surface minutely puberulous with appressed strigulose hairs or spreading flexuose hairs; lateral nerves in 15–20 pairs, ascending at 45°, indistinct, together with the tertiary nerves and veins forming a reticulum which is slightly prominent on both surfaces.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 14, included, 0·4 cm. long; filaments 0·1 cm. long, glabrous, inserted on the receptacle; anthers narrowly lanceolate, apiculate, glabrous, except for a few short hairs on the connective.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistillodes
Pistillode minute, tomentose.
sex Male
Pistillode minute, tomentose. Male flowers sub–sessile in 3s at the end of 0·4–0·6 cm. long peduncles arising from the axils of caducous reduced leaves at the base of the current year’s growth or of the first–formed normal leaves. Calyx 0–3 cm. long, lobes 4–5, deltate, 0·15 cm. long. Corolla 0–6 cm. long, narrowly urceolate, sericeous–tomentose outside; tube 0·5 cm. long, glabrous inside and thickened at the throat; lobes 4–5, deltate, 0·1 cm. long. Stamens c. 14, included, 0·4 cm. long; filaments 0·1 cm. long, glabrous, inserted on the receptacle; anthers narrowly lanceolate, apiculate, glabrous, except for a few short hairs on the connective.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers subsessile, solitary, or rarely 2–3 together, in the axils of reduced leaves at the base of the current year’s shoot. Male flowers sub–sessile in 3s at the end of 0·4–0·6 cm. long peduncles arising from the axils of caducous reduced leaves at the base of the current year’s growth or of the first–formed normal leaves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx and corolla similar to the male but calyx 0–8 cm. long and lobes cordate–deltate with undulate–plicate reflexed margins. Calyx 0–3 cm. long, lobes 4–5, deltate, 0·15 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 1–1·2 cm. long. Corolla 0–6 cm. long, narrowly urceolate, sericeous–tomentose outside; tube 0·5 cm. long, glabrous inside and thickened at the throat; lobes 4–5, deltate, 0·1 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Staminodes 6–12, filiform, 0·4 cm. long, glabrous, inserted at base of corolla.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 0·3 cm. in diameter; style scarcely differentiated from the ovary; stigma sessile; locules 4 or 6.
sex Female
Ovary 0·3 cm. in diameter; style scarcely differentiated from the ovary; stigma sessile; locules 4 or 6. Corolla 1–1·2 cm. long. Staminodes 6–12, filiform, 0·4 cm. long, glabrous, inserted at base of corolla. Female flowers subsessile, solitary, or rarely 2–3 together, in the axils of reduced leaves at the base of the current year’s shoot. Calyx and corolla similar to the male but calyx 0–8 cm. long and lobes cordate–deltate with undulate–plicate reflexed margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3–6, reddish–brown; endosperm deeply ruminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruiting calyx patelliform or shallowly cyathiform, lobes with recurved, strongly undulate margins. Fruit up to 2·5 cm. in diameter, yellow, globose, verruculose, glabrescent, but a few hairs persisting near the base of the persistent style.
Cytology
Chromosome number: 2n = 30.
[FZ]

Ebenaceae, F. White & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit
A tree of the second order of growth.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves lanceolate-spathulate, 10-15 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, obtuse at the apex, attenuated at the base, very coriaceous, glabrous on both sides; petiole 3-5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits in the form of a hazel nut, solitary or paired, clear brown, ovoid, 1.5 cm. long, 1.2 cm. wide, glabrous; fruiting calyx 6-8 mm. long, with 5 broadly triangular obtuse teeth; pedicels 5-10 mm. long.
Habitat
?Lowland forest; ± 400 m.
[FTEA]

Common Names

English
African ebony, Ebony, Ebony diospyros, Jackal-berry, Medlar, Monkey guava, Persimmon, Transvaal ebony

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Wood Anatomy Microscope Slides

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/