Diospyros kamerunensis

Gurke

Cameroon ebony

Ebenaceae Edible: Fruit 1 iNaturalist observations

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Meise Botanic Garden

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Meise Botanic Garden

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Description

A tree. It grows 16-17 m high. The trunk is straight and 1 m around. The branches are arranged in rings and young branches have a golden brown coating. The bark is thin, rough and a bright dark green colour. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are pale green above and yellowish-green below. They are narrowly oval and 3-6 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. Young leaves have yellow hairs. The flowers are yellow to white and there are separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers are in groups and female flowers occur singly. The fruit are oval berries that are yellow when ripe. They are 4 cm long by 3.5 cm wide. They have 6-8 black seeds.

Edible Uses

The fruit pulp is eaten fresh.

Traditional Uses

The pulp of the fruit is eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the under-storey of the closed forest in West Africa. It can grow in poor but well-drained soils.

Where It Grows

Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, West Africa,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Propagation

Seed - in general the seed of Diospyros species has a very short viability and so should be sown as soon as possible. The flesh should be removed since this contains germination inhibitors. Sow the seed in a shady position in a nursery seedbed. The sowing media for ebony uses soil and fine sand at the ratio 3:1. The seed is planted horizontally or vertically with the radicle end down, with a sowing depth of 1 - 1½ times the thickness of seed. Distance between the seeds is 3 - 5cm. Seeds are very sensitive to desiccation during germination and early growth, so must be regularly watered at this time. Normally the seed will germinate after one week. As a rule fresh seeds have a high percentage of fertility. The seedlings develop long taproots at an early stage, often before any appreciable elongation of the shoot takes place. The growth of the seedling is decidedly slow .

Other Uses

The heartwood is black; it is clearly demarcated from the sapwood, which is pinkish when freshly cut. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, resilient and does not float. The sap-wood can be impregnated. The wood tends to split during seasoning, but works well and takes a smooth finish. It is used for axe and implement handles, spear-shafts, telegraph-poles, rice-pestles and hut-posts. Drums are hollowed out of the wood and drum-heads of hide are fastened by hoops made of the young saplings of this and other Diospyros species which are particularly strong and pliable.

Production

Trees grow slowly.

Synonyms

Diospyros pallescens A. Chev. [Invalid]Diospyros sphaerocarpa Pierre ex De Wild.

Also Known As

Bong-afoum, Kokode, Marawa, Mevini, Omena, Omenowa

References (7)

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
Busson, 1965,
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 133
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 105
Oteng-Amoako, A. A. (Ed.), 2006, 100 Tropical African Timber Trees from Ghana. Forestry Research Institute of Ghana. p 122

Show all 7 references

Vivien, J., & Faure, J.J., 1996, Fruitiers Sauvages d'Afrique. Especes du Cameroun. CTA p 143
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew