Common Name:

General Information

Diospyros soubreana is a shrub or a tree growing up to 5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Nigeria.

Habitat

Undergrowth of high closed-forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	4.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have seen no individual confirmation for this species, but in general Diospyros species are dioecious and require both male and female forms to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The fruit contains a gelatinous translucent pulp which is considered edible[].

Medicinal

The leaves are commonly pulped or chopped up into a plaster and used as a haemostatic dressing over cuts or even serious wounds[].

Other Uses

None known

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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