Diospyros suaveolens
Gürke
Ebenaceae
Diospyros confertiflora Gürke ex J.D.Kenn.
Common Name:
General Information
Diospyros suaveolens is a tree growing up to 30 metres tall, with a straight bole to over 1.5 metres in girth, fluted at the base[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a timber and food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Western tropical Africa - S. Nigeria and W. Cameroons to Gabon.
Habitat
Lowland rain-forest[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 25.00 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[
899- Title
- Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 983-2181-27-5
- Description
- A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
]. Photographs we have seen show both male and female flowers on the same plant[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Edible Uses
The fruits have an edible pulp[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The sap-wood is white to pale yellow, heart-wood pinkish with black streaks[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The wood is the source of Benin ebony[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. This is the largest of the Nigerian ebonies, but appears to have no particular usage[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Propagation
Seed - it 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. In one trial, fresh seed, sown one day after collection, showed 85% germination rate within 17 - 65 days[
].
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.
