Diospyros embryopteris Pers.

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. Family

Ebenaceae

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. English Name

Indian Persimmon

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. Local Name

Gaab, Gab

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. Description

A slow growing evergreen plant, it is long-lived, very slow-growing tree, which can reach up to 35m in height with a trunk up to 70cm in diameter, the bark is dark or blackish in colour. Doesn’t grow that much in height but brings plenty of green leaves, which makes the tree very dense. Leaves are long slender with lovely foliage. New-born leaves have a colour of coffee, the tree has fragment flowers, and they are creamy white in colour. The fruits are round, and yellow when ripe, they are 5 to 8 cm in diameter with 5 to 6 seeds.

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. Distribution

It is native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia including (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia). Its Native habitat is Indian Subcontinent and South-East Asia. It may be somewhat often astringent, even when ripe. This plant prefers to grow in lowland rain forests typically near the streams and rivers at elevation up to the 270 to 300 m. The plant grows nice in shady and wet area.

Diospyros embryopteris Pers. Uses

This plant has both edible and medicinal uses. The fully ripe fruit is edible and can be eaten as raw. Both the bark of the tree and the unripe fruit has medicinal uses in Ayurveda. The juice extracted from the bark is considered to be very good for the treatment of bilious fevers. The seeds are used for the treatment of chronic dysentery and diarrhoea, the oil from the seeds is used to make medicines. Unripe leaves and fruits were traditionally used to dye cloth black. The wood is sometimes used in guitar manufacturing for its distinctive patterns. This Plant is also used for ornamental purposes.