Diospyros compacta

Family

Ebenaceae

Botanical Name

Diospyros compacta (R.Br.) Kosterm.

Kostermans, A.G.J.H. (1977) Blumea 23: 454. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Ebenus compacta (R.Br.) Kuntze, Revisio Generum Plantarum 2: 408(1891), Type: ?. Diospyros ferrea var. compacta (R.Br.) Fosberg, Brittonia 40: 61(1988), Type: ?. Maba compacta R.Br., Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae: 528(1810), Type: Australia, North Coast Island, Feb. 18, 21, 1803, R. Brown.

Common name

Australian ebony; Ebony, Australian

Stem

Grows into a tree but also flowers and fruits as a shrub. Bark on trees usually very dark, almost black.

Leaves

Leaf blades thick, coarse and leathery, about 7-9.5 x 3.5-5 cm, petioles about 0.5-1 cm long.

Flowers

Features not available.

Fruit

Fruits globose, about 12 mm diam., calyx persistent at the base. Calyx glabrous on the outer surface but densely clothed in short +/- prostrate brown hairs on the inner surface. Seeds ellipsoid, about 7 x 5 mm. Embryo small, radicle 3-5 mm long, cotyledons flat, about 2.5 x 1.5 mm, wider than the radicle.

Seedlings

Cotyledons +/- orbicular, about 15-18 x 13-17 mm. First pair of leaves obovate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blades obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, base cuneate to attenuate. Lateral veins forming very indistinct loops well inside the leaf blade margin. Terminal bud clothed in brown or pale brown prostrate hairs. Roots very dark, almost black.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Australia(?), occurs in NT, CYP, NEQ and southwards as far as coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range small, usually close to sea level. Usually grows in beach forest or monsoon forest on islands or on the mainland close to the sea.