Makassar ebony
Diospyros celebica
Family: Ebenaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 20-40 m tall. The trunk is straight and unbranched for 10-26 m. It is 1.5 m across. It can have buttresses 4 m tall. Old bark is scaly and black. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are narrowly oval. They are 12-35 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The tips are pointed. The flowers are small and white. There are 5-19 flowers in a group. The fruit is oval and 4-5 cm long by 3 cm wide. The ripe fruit are and a dark yellowish green with brown spots. Each fruit contains 3-11 seeds. The seeds are narrowly oval and bark brown.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in central and northern Sulawesi. It grows in rainforest and monsoon forest. It grows from sea level to 540 m above sea level. It grows in the humid lowlands. It grows in regions where the annual average temperature is 22°-28°C and the average annual rainfall is 2,000-2,500 mm. It is damaged by waterlogging.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Indonesia, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The fruit is occasionally used.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from fresh seed. The flesh is removed and seeds in a carefully watered bed will germinate in one week. It can also be grown from cuttings.
Trees can flower and fruit when 5-7 years old. In Sulawesi flowering is March to May and fruiting September to November. It takes about 6 months from flowering to fruit.
Its other names
Local names
Pohon eben kayu hitam, Pohon eben sulawesi