Diospyros

Last updated

Diospyros
Temporal range: Eocene–Recent
Diospyros kaki3.jpg
Flowers of Diospyros kaki
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ebenaceae
Genus: Diospyros
L. [1]
Type species
Diospyros lotus
L.
Diversity
About 750 species
Synonyms [1]
  • CargilliaR.Br.
  • CavanilleaDesr.
  • EbenusKuntze (nom. illeg.)
  • EmbryopterisGaertn.
  • GuaiacanaDuhamel (nom. illeg.)
  • IdesiaScop.
  • MabaJ.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
  • MabolaRaf.
  • MacreightiaA.DC.
  • NoltiaThonn.
  • ParaleaAubl.
  • PimiaSeem.
  • RhaphidantheHiern ex Gürke
  • RopoureaAubl.
  • RoyenaL.
  • TetraclisHiern

Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees. Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

The generic name Diospyros comes from a Latin name for the Caucasian persimmon ( D. lotus ), derived from the Greek διόσπυρος : dióspyros, from diós ( Διός ) and pyrós ( πῡρός ). The Greek name literally means "Zeus's wheat" but more generally intends "divine food" or "divine fruit". [3] [4]

The genus is a large one and the number of species has been estimated variously, depending on the date of the source. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, list has over 1000 entries, including synonyms and items of low confidence. Over 700 species are marked as being assigned with high confidence. [5]

The oldest fossils of the genus date to the Eocene, which indicate by that time Diospyros was widely distributed over the Northern Hemisphere. [6]

Chemotaxonomy

The leaves of Diospyros blancoi have been shown to contain isoarborinol methyl ether (also called cylindrin) and fatty esters of α- and β-amyrin. [7] Both isoarborinol methyl ether and the amyrin mixture demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Candida albicans , Staphylococcus aureus , and Trichophyton interdigitale . [7] Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties have also been shown for the isolated amyrin mixture. [7]

Ecology

Diospyros species are important and conspicuous trees in many of their native ecosystems, such as lowland dry forests of the former Maui Nui in Hawaii, [8] Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests, Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests, Louisiade Archipelago rain forests, Madagascar lowland forests, Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests, New Caledonian sclerophytic vegetation, [9] New Guinea mangroves or South Western Ghats montane rain forests.

The green fruits are avoided by most herbivores, perhaps because they are rich in tannins. When ripe, they are eagerly eaten by many animals however, such as (in East Africa) the rare Aders' duiker (Cephalophus adersi). The foliage is used as food by the larvae of numerous Lepidoptera species:

Arctiidae:

Geometridae:

Limacodidae:

Lycaenidae:

Nymphalidae:

Saturniidae:

Tortricidae:

An economically significant plant pathogen infecting many Diospyros species – D. hispida , kaki persimmon (D. kaki), date-plum (D. lotus), Texas persimmon (D. texana), Coromandel ebony (D. melanoxylon) and probably others – is the sac fungus Pseudocercospora kaki , which causes a leaf spot disease.

Use by humans

Ebony jivari of a sitar Sitar jawari.jpg
Ebony jivari of a sitar

The genus includes several plants of commercial importance, either for their edible fruit (persimmons) or for their timber (ebony). The latter are divided into two groups in trade: the pure black ebony (notably from D. ebenum , but also several other species), and the striped ebony or calamander wood (from D. celebica , D. mun and others). Most species in the genus produce little to none of this black ebony-type wood; their hard timber (e.g. of American persimmon, D. virginiana) may still be used on a more limited basis.

Leaves of the Coromandel ebony (D. melanoxylon) are used to roll South Asian beedi cigarettes. Several species are used in herbalism, and D. leucomelas yields the versatile medical compound betulinic acid. Extracts from Diospyros plants have also been proposed as novel anti-viral treatment. [10] Though bees do not play a key role as pollinators, in plantations Diospyros may be of some use as honey plants. D. mollis , locally known as mặc nưa , is used in Vietnam to dye the famous black lãnh Mỹ A silk of Tân Châu district.

The reverence of these trees in their native range is reflected by their use as floral emblems. In Indonesia, D. celebica (Makassar ebony, known locally as eboni) is the provincial tree of Central Sulawesi, while ajan kelicung (D. macrophylla) is that of West Nusa Tenggara. The emblem of the Japanese island of Ishigaki is the Yaeyama kokutan (D. ferrea). The Gold apple (D. decandra), called "Trái thị" in Vietnamese, is a tree in the Tấm Cám fable. It is also the provincial tree of Chanthaburi as well as Nakhon Pathom Provinces in Thailand, while the black-and-white ebony (D. malabarica) is that of Ang Thong Province. The name of the Thai district Amphoe Tha Tako, literally means "District of the Diospyros pier", the latter being a popular local gathering spot.

Selected species

Diospyros buxifolia leaves Diospyros buxifolia.jpg
Diospyros buxifolia leaves
Diospyros celebica wood Macassar01.jpg
Diospyros celebica wood
Gold apple (D. decandra) fruit Qua thi.jpg
Gold apple (D. decandra) fruit
Diospyros discolor in Central Luzon, Philippines 04495jfConstructions Diospyros blancoi Dampol Rueda Plaridel Bulacan Roadfvf 48.jpg
Diospyros discolor in Central Luzon, Philippines
Diospyros geminata foliage and young fruit Diospyros geminata foliage and fruitII.jpg
Diospyros geminata foliage and young fruit
Diospyros revaughanii in Mauritius Diospyros revaughanii ebony - MonVert Arboretum 4.jpg
Diospyros revaughanii in Mauritius
Diospyros virginiana in Tampa, Florida Persimmon American4 Asit.jpg
Diospyros virginiana in Tampa, Florida
Diospyros whyteana twig with young fruit Diospyros whyteana IMG 2651.JPG
Diospyros whyteana twig with young fruit
Diospyros eriantha foliage Wu Cai (Ruan Mao Shi )Diospyros eriantha 20210331093242 11.jpg
Diospyros eriantha foliage
Diospyros ferrea, slow growth Xiang Ya Shi Diospyros ferrea 20201024211015 01.jpg
Diospyros ferrea , slow growth
Diospyros blancoi, known also as "Taiwan ebony", slow growth Mao Shi Diospyros blancoi 20220807225309 02.jpg
Diospyros blancoi , known also as "Taiwan ebony ", slow growth

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Aglaia</i> Genus of plants in the family Meliaceae

Aglaia is a genus of 121 recognised species of woody dioecious trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae. They occur in the subtropical and tropical forests of Southeast Asia, northern Australia and the Pacific.

<i>Elaeocarpus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Elaeocarpus is a genus of nearly five hundred species of flowering plants in the family Elaeocarpaceae native to the Western Indian Ocean, Tropical and Subtropical Asia, and the Pacific. Plants in the genus Elaeocarpus are trees or shrubs with simple leaves, flowers with four or five petals usually, and usually blue fruit.

<i>Litsea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Litsea is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes a large number of accepted species in tropical and subtropical areas of North America and Asia.

<i>Sterculia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Sterculia is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae. Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. Sterculia may be monoecious or dioecious, and its flowers unisexual or bisexual.

<i>Dysoxylum</i> Genus of plants in the family Meliaceae

Dysoxylum is a genus of rainforest trees and shrubs in the flowering plant family Meliaceae. About 34 species are recognised in the genus, distributed from India and southern China, through southeast Asia to New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Australia. The name Dysoxylum derives from the Greek word ‘Dys’ meaning "bad" referring to "ill-smelling" and ‘Xylon’ meaning "wood".

<i>Actinodaphne</i> Genus of flowering plants

Actinodaphne is an Asian genus of flowering plants in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It contains approximately 125 species of dioecious evergreen trees and shrubs.

<i>Canthium</i> Genus of plants

Canthium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny.

<i>Fagraea</i> Genus of plants

Fagraea is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in Malesia.

<i>Hopea</i> Genus of trees

Hopea is a genus of plants in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It contains some 113 species, distributed from Sri Lanka and southern India to the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, southern China, and southward throughout Malesia to New Guinea. They are mainly main and subcanopy trees of lowland rainforest, but some species can become also emergent trees, such as Hopea nutans.

<i>Lasianthus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lasianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests.

<i>Memecylon</i> Genus of flowering plants

Memecylon is a plant group in Melastomataceae. It consists of 350-400 species of small to medium-sized trees and shrubs occurring in the Old World tropics. Memecylon is a monophyletic group basal to the Melastomataceae clade. Memecylon taxa have more than 600 published basionyms. Diversity of this group is concentrated in tropical Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia.

<i>Polyalthia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Polyalthia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. There are approximately 90 species distributed from Africa to Asia and the Pacific.

<i>Neonauclea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Neonauclea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 71 species. Neonauclea is a genus of shrubs and trees They are indigenous to China, India, Southeast Asia, Wallacea, New Guinea and Australia.

<i>Dendrophthoe</i> Genus of mistletoes

Dendrophthoe is a genus of hemiparasitic shrubs found in Asia and Australia known as mistletoes. The genus was described by German naturalist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius in 1830. Species in this genus have a variety of reported uses in the medical traditions of the region, most notably in Nepal.

<i>Sonerila</i> Genus of flowering plants

Sonerila is a genus of plants in the family Melastomataceae. This genus is characterized the by presence of three petals as opposed to five in the other members of the family. Most members of the genus prefer growing in shady habitats. It is a large genus including about 175 species.

References

  1. 1 2 "Genus: Diospyros L." Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) [Online Database]. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland. 28 Apr 1998. Retrieved 15 Sep 2016.
  2. Akagi, Takashi; Kajita, Kei; Kibe, Takanori; Morimura, Haruka; Tsujimoto, Tomoyuki; Nishiyama, Soichiro; Kawai, Takashi; Yamane, Hisayo; Tao, Ryutaro (2013). "Development of Molecular Markers Associated with Sexuality in Diospyros lotus L. and Their Application in D. kaki Thunb". Journal of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science. 83 (3): 214–221. doi: 10.2503/jjshs1.CH-109 . hdl: 2433/191079 .
  3. Jaeger, Edmund Carroll (1959). A source-book of biological names and terms . Springfield, IL: Thomas. ISBN   0398061793.
  4. Tice, John. H. "Essay on the Diospyros virginiana" Annual report / Missouri State Horticultural Society 1864.
  5. "Diospyros". The Plant List . Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  6. Denk, Thomas; Bouchal, Johannes M. (2021-07-03). "Dispersed pollen and calyx remains of Diospyros (Ebenaceae) from the middle Miocene "Plant beds" of Søby, Denmark". GFF. 143 (2–3): 292–304. Bibcode:2021GFF...143..292D. doi:10.1080/11035897.2021.1907443. ISSN   1103-5897. S2CID   237648462.
  7. 1 2 3 Ragasa, CY, Puno, MR, Sengson, JMA, Shen, CC, Rideout, JA, Raga, DD (November 2009). "Bioactive triterpenes from Diospyros blancoi". Natural Product Research. 23 (13): 1252–58. doi:10.1080/14786410902951054. PMID   19731144. S2CID   205836127.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. The Nature Conservancy – Hawaiʻi Operating Unit (March 2004). "Kānepuʻu Preserve Lānaʻi, Hawaiʻi Long-Range Management Plan Fiscal Years 2005–2010" (PDF). Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources Natural Area Partnership Program: 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2009-04-09.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. Paun, Ovidiu; Turner, Barbara; Trucchi, Emiliano; Munzinger, Jérôme; Chase, Mark W.; Samuel, Rosabelle (March 2016). "Processes Driving the Adaptive Radiation of a Tropical Tree ( Diospyros , Ebenaceae) in New Caledonia, a Biodiversity Hotspot". Systematic Biology. 65 (2): 212–227. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syv076. ISSN   1063-5157. PMC   4748748 . PMID   26430059.
  10. "Antiviral Agent and Antiviral Composition".