Herbarium JCB

Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel.

Family : EBENACEAE
(EBONY FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Ebenaceae
Species : Diospyros malabarica
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel.
Common name : Gaub Persimon, Indian Persimon, River Ebony
Vernacular name : Gabh, Tedu, Maka tendu, Kala tendu (Hin.); Bandada mara, Antina kai, Holetupare (Kan.); Panickil, Thumbica, Benchu maram, Karimaathi (Tam.); Nitta Tumiki, Tumiki, Racha-tumiki, Tinduki, Gabu (Tel.); Mankar kendu, Kola kendu, Gusva kendu, Rakthajharia, Thusra kendu, Dhusarokendu (Ori.); Tindukah, Tinduki (San.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-0517
Collector(s) Name : K.R.K.Swamy, Navendu Page & Arun Singh R.
Collection Date : 25/02/16
Collection Locality : Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Nayagarh District, Odisha State
Habitat : Stream banks of Mixed forest
Key identification features : A small to medium-sized littoral evergreen tree with spreading branches. Stem is buttressed. Bark nearly black with greenish tinge, thin, smooth and blaze yellow. Latex is brown. Leaves are simple, oblong-lanceolate, shiny and young leaves are red coloured. Inflorescence is many flowered cyme. Flowers are 4 merous. Calyx, fulvous pubescent without and glabrous within. Corolla is yellow, 4-lobed, retuse. Stamens are about 40 in pairs, anthers are hairy.Ovary is 8 celled, styles 4, each lobes further lobed into many stigmas. Fruit is a berry, covered with a rusty, powdery substance when young. Pulp is glutinous and clear, turning black when exposed.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : March-April; April onwards
Comments : A characteristic riparian species growing along hill streams up to 750 m.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Oodapatti R.F. (Dharmapuri district), Kanchipuram district (Tamil Nadu State); Punyagiri Hills (Visakhapatnam district), Salur Forest (Srikakulam district), East Godavari district, Vijaynagaram district, Talakona R.F., Tirumala Hills (Chittoor district) (Andhra Pradesh State); Similipal Hills (Mayurbhanj district), Ganjam district, Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary (Nayagarh district) (Odisha State)
World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka, Himalaya, Siam, Indo-China, Western Malesia
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 2 ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Diospyros malabarica. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.