Diospyros melanida
Poir.
Ebenaceae
Diospyros mauritiana A.DC.
Common Name:
General Information
Diospyros melanida is a tallish tree.
A likely timber of past centuries, populations have been reduced by exploitation and there are now too few trees for commercial use.
Regeneration appears to be poor because of the invasion of exotic plants and also exotic animals which destroy the seeds. In many places the populations are reduced to scattered individuals or small subpopulations. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Africa - Mauritius.
Habitat
Dry, deciduous lowland forest[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
933- Title
- Notes on Diospyros (Ebenaceae) in the Mascarene Islands
- Publication
- Kew Bulletin Vol. 34 No. 4 pp. 723 - 735
- Author
- Richardson I.B.K.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; London
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An article in a Botanical Journal, it describes the 14 native species of Diospyros in the Mascarenes.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The tree has been harvested in the past as a source of black ebony wood, but populations are now too low for exploitation[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
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 [
652- Title
- The Silviculture of Indian Trees
- Publication
-
- Author
- Troup. R.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Oxford, at the Clarendon Press
- Year
- 1921
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent treatment.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
