Common Name:

General Information

Diospyros heudelotii is an evergreen shrub or tree that can grow up to 20 metres tall, but is often smaller. The bole is straight[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine, tooth cleaner and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Guinea Bissau to Ghana.

Habitat

An understorey plant of the evergreen forest, also growing in more open, secondary formations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Self-fertile	No

Cultivation Details

The leaves and flowers emit a coarse smell which is likened in some Sierra Leonean names to that of rank flatulence[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[]

Edible Uses

The thin pulp surrounding the seed is edible and is sometimes eaten[].

Medicinal

The roots are used as a purgative[].

Unspecified parts of the plant are used as a remedy for kidney troubles, constipation and food-poisoning[].

Other Uses

The twigs are chewed as a tooth-cleaner[].

The pink wood is hard. When freshly cut it sinks in water. The flexible stems are used for spring-traps[].

Propagation

Seed - in general the seed of Diospyros species has a very short viability and so should be sown as soon as possible. The flesh should be removed since this contains germination inhibitors. Sow the seed in a shady position in a nursery seedbed. The sowing media for ebony uses soil and fine sand at the ratio 3:1. The seed is planted horizontally or vertically with the radicle end down, with a sowing depth of 1 - 1½ times the thickness of seed. Distance between the seeds is 3 - 5cm. Seeds are very sensitive to desiccation during germination and early growth, so must be regularly watered at this time. Normally the seed will germinate after one week[].
As a rule fresh seeds have a high percentage of fertility. The seedlings develop long taproots at an early stage, often before any appreciable elongation of the shoot takes place. The growth of the seedling is decidedly slow [].

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