Small-leaved jackal-berry, Acorn diospyros
Diospyros natalensis

Family: Ebenaceae

What it is like

A evergreen shrub or small tree. It is much branched. It grows to 6-15 m high. The bark is pale grey and smooth. The leaves are produced horizontally along the slender branches. They are oval and 1-3.6 cm long by 0.5-2 cm wide. They are glossy dark green above and paler green underneath. The flowers are small and white. They occur either singly or in 2 or 3 flowered heads in the axils of leaves. These are 7 mm long. The fruit are like small acorns. They are slender and 1.2 cm long by 0.6 cm wide. They have sharp tips. They are yellow when mature. The cup covers about half the fruit.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in dune forest along the coast. It can be on the edges of streams and evergreen forest. It grows in stony or gravelly soils. It grows from sea level to 1,600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Katsungwi-ka-taskni, Mutsungwi

Synonyms

Diospyros dawei (Hutch.) Brenan; Diospyros natalensis subsp. natalensis; Diospyros nyassae Brenan; Ebenus natalensis (Harv.) Kuntze; Maba dawei Hutch.; Maba natalensis Harv.; Diospyros nummularia Brenan; ?