Zevelu
Diospyros mannii

Family: Ebenaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 7-10 m high. It can be 20 m tall. Young shoots have rusty coloured hairs. The branches are often in rings. The leaves are oval but taper to the tip. They are 12 cm long by 5 cm wide. They are hairy on both surfaces. The fruit are orange. They are 10 cm across. They have red irritating hairs on the skin. The fruit sections have one seed each.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the rainforest. It suits humid locations. It is shade tolerant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sierra Leone, West Africa

How it is used for food

The irritating hairs are ribbed off then the fruit cut open into sections.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be raised from seed.

It is slow growing. It takes 10 years to get to fruit bearing.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Diospyros aggregata Gurke; Diospyros ivorensis Aubrev. & Pellegr.; Diospyros pseudoaggregata Mildbr.; Diospyros talbotii Wernham; Ebenus mannii (Hiern.) Kuntze;