Diospyros calycantha

Family

Ebenaceae

Botanical Name

Diospyros calycantha O.Schwarz

Schwarz, O. (1927) Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 24: 93. Type: Port Darwin, Jervais road, dry jungle (Bleeser no. 156 u. 160, no. 161 u. 638 )..

Common name

Cape ebony; Ebony, Cape

Stem

Usually grows into a tree 10-20 m tall but also flowers and fruits as a shrub.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 5-12 x 2.5-4.5 cm. Twigs and petioles +/- glabrous. Twigs about 1-2 mm diam. Lateral veins curving but only forming indistinct loops inside the blade margin.

Flowers

Male flowers: Flowers about 7 mm diam., pleasantly perfumed. Calyx about 2.5 mm long, distinctly lobed at the apex, lobes about 0.5 mm long or reduced to small teeth. Corolla tube about 9 x 4.5 mm, glabrous. Corolla lobes recurved, about 5 mm long, glabrous. Stamens about 16-17, attached to the base of the corolla tube. Anther filaments dimorphic, 1-3.5 mm long, anthers dimorphic, about 1-2 mm log. Rudimentary ovary hairy. Female flower features not available.

Fruit

Fruits seated on a 3 or 4-lobed, reflexed calyx. Calyx mainly glabrous on the outer surface, inner surface (forming the seat for the fruit) densely clothed in prostrate silky hairs which completely cover the surface. Fruits globular or depressed globular, glabrous at all stages. Seeds about 10-12 x 6-8 mm. Embryo about 7-7.5 mm long. Cotyledons straight, about 4-4.5 mm long, wider than the straight radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons elliptical, about 27-29 x 14-15 mm. One very small scale-like cataphyll produced just above the cotyledons. First leaves ovate to elliptic-oblanceolate, apex obtuse or retuse, base cuneate. Hypocotyl black, sparsely hairy. Roots black. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptical, much paler on the underside. Midrib flush with the upper surface. Stems zigzagged, dark red in colour and clothed in short erect hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 250 m. Usually grows in gallery forest or other types of riparian forest but also found in monsoon forest and vine thickets. Also occurs in New guinea.