Herbarium JCB

Diospyros ebenum J.Konig ex Retz.

Family : EBENACEAE
(EBONY FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Ebenaceae
Species : Diospyros ebenum
Synonym : Diospyros assimilis Bedd.
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Diospyros ebenum J.Konig ex Retz.
Common name : Ebony, Ceylon Ebony
Vernacular name : Ebans, Abnus (Hin.); Kari mara, Beli mara (Kan.); Karunkaali, Solaikarimaram, Thumaraam (Tam.); Nallauti, Tuki, Tallavalludu (Tel.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-E-192
Collector(s) Name : Arun Singh R. & K.R.K.Swamy
Collection Date : 12/09/14
Collection Locality : Pudunur R.F., Javadhu Hills, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu State
Habitat : Deciduous forest
Key identification features : A medium-sized evergreen tree. Leaves are simple, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, bright-green and leathery. Flowers are small, in axillary clusters, unisexual. Calyx is represented by 5 conical pointed lobes. Corolla is vase-shaped and dull-white. Bark is grey, fissured and scaly, scales being thick.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : March-July
Native : India, Sri Lanka
Comments : In dry evergreen forests at about 900 m. The wood is hard, durable and often commercially used as Ebony wood, sometimes referred as 'The Royal Timber'.
Conservation Status : Data Deficient (DD)
Distribution Locality : Salem district, Hoganekkal Forest, Guttirayan Hills, Pennagaram RF, Melagiri Hills (Dharmapuri district), Pachamalai Hills (Tiruchirapalli district) (Tamil Nadu State); Tirumala Hills, Kambakkam Hills (Chittoor district), Kadapa district, Palakonda Hills (Srikakulam district) (Andhra Pradesh State)
World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka
Literature : Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.; Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4 ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1.
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 ebenum. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.