Diospyros malabarica

Diospyros malabarica, the gaub tree, Malabar ebony, black-and-white ebony or pale moon ebony, is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae that is native to the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia.

Diospyros malabarica
Foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ebenaceae
Genus: Diospyros
Species:
D. malabarica
Binomial name
Diospyros malabarica
(Desr.) Kostel.
Synonyms
  • D. biflora Blanco
  • D. citrifolia Wall. ex A.DC.
  • D. embryopteris Pers. [Illegitimate]
  • D. glutinifera (Roxb.) Wall.
  • D. glutinosa J.König ex Roxb.
  • D. malabarica var. siamensis (Hochr.) Phengklai
  • D. peregrina (Gaertn.) Gürke
  • D. peregrina f. javanica Kosterm.
  • D. siamensis Hochr.
  • Embryopteris gelatinifera G.Don
  • Embryopteris glutinifera Roxb.
  • Embryopteris glutinifolia Link
  • Embryopteris peregrina Gaertn.

It is a long-lived, very slow-growing tree, which can reach up to 35 m in height with a black trunk up to 70 cm in diameter.[1]

Fruit

The fruits are round, and yellow when ripe. It may be somewhat often astringent, even when ripe. Its common name is derived from the coast of southwestern India, Malabar. It is the provincial tree of Ang Thong Province in Thailand.

Uses

Both the bark of the tree and the unripe fruit have medicinal uses in Ayurveda. This tree was mentioned as Tinduka by Sanskrit writers.[2]

Unripe leaves and fruits were traditionally used to dye cloth black.

The wood is sometimes used in guitar manufacturing for its distinctive patterns.

References
  1. "FAO - Malabar ebony". Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  2. Rajendra Shinde in Flowers of India
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.