Ebenaceae FAMILY

Diospyros mespiliformis

Edibility

4/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

Sawdust of this species, as also of most Diospyros spp., causes dermatitis after continuous contact[ 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/ ].

Botanical Description

West African ebony is an evergreen tree with a rounded, dense crown; it varies considerably in height, sometimes flowering as a shrub when just 3 metres tall, growing 12 - 15 metres tall in drier areas of its range and 25 metres or more (with reports of trees up to 50 metres) in the wetter areas. The bole, which is sometimes fluted at the base, can be up to 60cm in diameter[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. , 774 Title Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel. Their Characteristics and Uses. Publication Author von Maydell H. Publisher Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit; Germany Year 1990 ISBN 3-8236-1198-4 Description A well-researched book, usually with more than one photograph of each species and good information on the plant and its uses. ]. The wood is highly prized and therefore commonly harvested from the wild and traded internationally. The tree is an important source of food, medicine and other commodities for the local people and is often kept unfelled when land is being cleared for farming[ 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/ ]. It is thus to be found in a state of being tended if not actually cultivated near villages[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. , 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/ ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa - Senegal to Eritrea and Yemen, south to Namibia, Transvaal and Mozambique.

HabitatRiparian forest, more rarely on termite mounds or rocky outcrops or in dry semi-evergreen forest at elevations of 60 - 1,370 metres[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. Drier northern borders of the humid rain-forest zone especially in wet situations[ 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/ ].