Diospyros racemosa

Family: Ebenaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 20 m high. The bark is greyish brown and smooth. The young branches are slender and shiny. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are 10-30 cm long by 2-10 cm wide. They are narrowly oval and rounded at the base and tapering to the tip. Male and female flowers are separate and yellow. Male flowers are in groups of 3-12 and female flowers occur singly. The fruit is an oval berry and flattened at the top. The fruit are 3-4 cm across. They are yellow when ripe.

There are about 485 species of Diospyros mostly in the tropics.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in central and eastern India. It grows in evergreen forests.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bangladesh, India, Northeastern India, Sri Lanka

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

In southern India it flowers and fruits February to May.

Its other names

Local names

Gub-Gulal, Gula, Kaha kala, Kalakura, Kaluwella, Karundu varai, Thing-bong, Toposi, Tuvarai

Synonyms

Diospyros foveoreticulata Merr.; Diospyros toposia Buch.-Ham.; Diospyros toposioides King & Gamble; Embryopteris racemosa (Roxb.) G. Don;