Diospyros Melanoxylon

Diospyros melanoxylon a moderatee-sized to large tree, attaining a height of 25mt. and a girth up to 1.5mt. with a straight cylindrical bole of 15-20 ft. under favourable  conditions. It bears coriaceous leaves varying in size and form. Elliptic-oblong leaves can be opposite or alternate, leathery, up to 35 cm long, velvety on both sides when young, becoming smooth above when fully grown. Leaves are used for making beedis. Male flowers are mauve in colour, tetramerous to sextamerous, 1-1.5 cm long, sessile or nearly sessile in short peduncles, mostly 3-flowered. Female flowers mauve, mostly extra-axillary or sometimes solitary, axillary generally 2, opposite each other, larger than the male flowers. Fruits olive green, ovoid or globose 3-4 cm across; 1- 8-seeded berries. Pulp yellow, soft and sweet. Seeds compressed, oblong, shiny, often banded. The species has the name ‘melenoxylon’ means ‘black wood’.