Family:
Ebenaceae Gürke
Genus:
Diospyros L.

Diospyros dichrophylla (Gand.) De Winter

This species is accepted, and its native range is Mozambique to S. Africa.

[FZ]

Ebenaceae, F. White. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Erect, densely leafy evergreen shrub up to 6 m. tall, elsewhere sometimes arborescent and up to 16 m.; branches erect or ascending; branchlets shortly and densely yellowish–pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves coriaceous, drying dull pale brown or yellowish–brown beneath; lamina 1·7 x 0·6–8·8 x 2·5 cm., narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, apex rounded to broadly acute, base cuneate, margin usually revolute; lower surface appressed–pubescent; lateral nerves in c. 5 pairs, indistinct.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0·2–0·4 cm. long strigulose–tomentellous; lobes 0·15–0·3 cm. long, deltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 0·7–1·2 cm. long, densely strigulose outside; lobes 0·5–1 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk fimbriate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, 0·4–0·45 cm. long; filaments 0·05–0·07 cm. long, hairy towards apex; anthers 0·3–0·35 cm. long, densely strigose.
sex Male
Stamens 10, 0·4–0·45 cm. long; filaments 0·05–0·07 cm. long, hairy towards apex; anthers 0·3–0·35 cm. long, densely strigose. Pistillode subglobose, sericeous–tomentellous, slightly ridged; locules 10; stylode puberulous, divided into 5 branches. Corolla 0·7–1·2 cm. long, densely strigulose outside; lobes 0·5–1 cm. long. Disk fimbriate. Male flowers solitary, axillary, pentamerous; pedicel 0·8–2 (2·8) cm. long; bracts 0·25–0·4 cm. long, linear or oblanceolate, distant, deciduous. Calyx 0·2–0·4 cm. long strigulose–tomentellous; lobes 0·15–0·3 cm. long, deltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistillodes
Pistillode subglobose, sericeous–tomentellous, slightly ridged; locules 10; stylode puberulous, divided into 5 branches.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers similar to male. Male flowers solitary, axillary, pentamerous; pedicel 0·8–2 (2·8) cm. long; bracts 0·25–0·4 cm. long, linear or oblanceolate, distant, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Staminodes 10, 0·2 cm. long; antherodes densely strigose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 0·25 x 0·2 cm., subglobose, slightly ridged; densely sericeous–tomentellous; locules 10; style puberulous, the 5 branches glabrous towards the tips.
sex Female
Ovary 0·25 x 0·2 cm., subglobose, slightly ridged; densely sericeous–tomentellous; locules 10; style puberulous, the 5 branches glabrous towards the tips. Female flowers similar to male. Staminodes 10, 0·2 cm. long; antherodes densely strigose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3–8, 1·3 cm. long, shining–brown; endosperm smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruiting calyx strongly accrescent, lobes up to 2 cm. long, with many longitudinal nerves, usually strongly reflexed but occasionally only partly reflexed. Fruit up to 2 x 2·5 cm., depressed–globose, densely yellowish–velvety–pubescent, tardily dehiscing from above into 5 valves.
Cytology
Chromosome number: 2n = 30.

Native to:

Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Swaziland

Introduced into:

St.Helena

Diospyros dichrophylla (Gand.) De Winter appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Fl. S. Afr. 26: 75 (1963)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (2000). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS D: 1-30141.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0