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Diospyros ebenum - J.K'nig

Common Name Ebony, Ceylon Ebony, Mauritius Ebony, Ebony Persimmon
Family Ebenaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards The fruits are used as a fish poison[ 303 ].
Habitats Humid, coastal and lowland forests[ 307 ]. An understorey tree of dry evergreen forests[ 338 ].
Range E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Full sun
Diospyros ebenum Ebony, Ceylon Ebony, Mauritius Ebony, Ebony Persimmon


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Diospyros ebenum Ebony, Ceylon Ebony, Mauritius Ebony, Ebony Persimmon
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Summary

Found in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, Diospyros ebenum or Ebony is an evergreen, slow-growing tree with a dense crown. It grows about 30 m in height with its straight, buttressed trunk reaching about 90cm in diameter. It is a known timber tree and highly valued for its black wood used for furniture making. The wood is very heavy, very durable, and resistant to fungi and insect attack. The fruits are edible and have medicinal uses as attenuant and lithontripic. Bark and leaves are used as a blistering plaster.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Diospyros ebenum is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Diospyros assimilis Bedd. Diospyros ebenaster Retz. Diospyros glaberrrima Rottb. Diospyros laurifoli

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw. Gummy and astringent[303]. The edible fruits are eaten only in times of famine[ 317 ].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Lithontripic  Skin

The edible fruits have medicinal properties as attenuant and lithontripic[ 317 ]. The pounded bark and leaves are employed as a blistering plaster[ 345 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Furniture  Wood

Shade tree, Specimen, Collection, Large planter, Bonsai, Conservatory. Agroforestry Uses: Very promising as shade tree in cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) plantations[ 303 ]. Other Uses: The heartwood is very black; it is clearly demarcated from the light yellowish grey sapwood that is often streaked with black. The texture is very fine, close and even; the grain straight. The wood is very hard, heavy, very durable, being resistant to insect attack and fungi. The wood is difficult to season and work by hand, it takes a high glossy finish. It is mainly exported to China for furniture and to Europe as fancy wood. It finds use in sports goods, musical and mathematical instruments, ornamental carvings, piano keys, chess pieces, rulers, the backs of brushes, stands for ornaments and turnery[ 46 , 303 , 307 ]. We do not have any more specific information for this species. However, though varying widely in the relative proportion and the colouring of sapwood and heartwood, all the woods of the genus Diospyros are practically indistinguishable as regards their structure, as described below:-[ 721 ] Whether or not a given species produces heartwood depends largely on the size the tree has attained, but evidently also on other conditions, as there is a wide variation in the relative amounts of sapwood and heartwood even in individuals of the same species. When produced, the heartwood can be black with rosy, yellowish, brownish, or ashy streaks, sometimes it is nearly or totally black; it is generally sharply demarcated from the thin to very wide band of whitish, yellowish, or red sapwood. The texture is fine, smooth and (especially in the heartwood) very dense; the grain is generally very straight. The wood is hard to very hard; heavy to very heavy; the sapwood is tough and flexible whilst the heartwood is brittle; the heartwood is very durable, the sapwood moderately so. It is difficult to season well, logs almost invariably checking in several directions from the heart outward, while sawn lumber must be stacked carefully and weighted to prevent warping; once thoroughly dried, however, it becomes very stable. Its density makes it difficult to work, but it takes a beautiful surface under sharp tools[ 721 ]. Small trees containing little or no heartwood are used locally for posts, beams, joists, rafters, window sills, parts of agricultural implements, etc.; also, in lumbering, small poles are used for skids on account of their hardness, toughness and smooth wearing qualities. The heartwood (or sometimes sap and heart together) is used for scabbards, canes, hilts, tool handles, gunstocks, saw frames, etc.; it is a favorite for musical instruments, especially finger boards and keys of guitars; furniture, cabinetwork, inlaying; paper weights, inkstands and similar desk supplies; the sapwood, which is almost as hard as the heartwood and very much tougher, is an excellent material for T-squares and other drawing instruments, for shuttles, bobbins, spindles, golf-club heads and shafts, axe, pick, and hammer handles, etc[ 721 ].

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A plant of comparatively dry areas in the tropics[ 303 ]. Prefers a well-drained soil containing clay[ 303 ]. A slow-growing tree[ 303 , 307 ]. 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 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - it has a very short viability and so should be sown as soon as possible[ 325 ]. The flesh should be removed since this contains germination inhibitors[ 325 ]. 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 - 1.5x 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[ 325 ]. 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[ 325 ]. 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 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Ebans, Abnus, Ebony tree, Eba na, Ebans, Tuki, Nallavalludu, Nalluti, Tumiki, Tumbi, Karunkali, Karai, Karemara, Karu, Mushtumpi, Vauari, Kendhu, Kaluwaru, Karungaali,

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

India; Sri Lanka, Asia, Australia, Indochina, Malaysia, Northeastern India, SE Asia,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Data Deficient

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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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J.K'nig

Botanical References

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For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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