Diospyros discolor Willd.

വെല്‍വെറ്റ് ആപ്പിള്‍

Family : Ebenaceae

Synonym : Diospyros malacapai A.DC.

Common Names : Velvet apple, Mabola Ebony, Comogen Ebony

Flowering Period : February-April

Distribution : Native of Philippines

Habitat : Grown as ornamental tree

Uses : Fruit - raw or cooked. A white or cream-coloured flesh, the ripe fruit is mealy, aromatic. A decoction of the young leaves is used as a treatment for hypertension, heart ailments and diabetes. The leaves are heated and squeezed with the leaves of Plectranthus amboinicus to make a preparation that is used to treat chest colds. The bark is astringent, A decoction is used as a treatment for coughs, fevers, dysentery and diarrhoea. The bark and the leaves are used as a wash to treat skin ailments such as itchy skin. An infusion of the fruit is used as a gargle in treating aphthous stomatitis. The wood is smooth and durable, and is much used in the Philippines in making handicrafts.

Key Characters :

Tree to 15 m tall; bark blackish or dark brown. Leaves alternate, oblong or elliptic-oblong. Flowers white, fragrant: Male inflorescences shortly pedunculate, 3-7-flowered, female usually 1-flowered. Male ones smaller than female ones. Fruit globose or depressed globose, fleshy, densely rusty or yellowish velutinous, edible. Fruiting calyx flattened, adpressed to the fruit base.