Diospyros glabra

(L.) De Winter

Ebenaceae Edible: Fruit 2,082 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Diospyros glabra, the fynbos star-apple, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ebenaceae, native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 5 m (16 ft), found in a variety of fynbos habitats.

Description

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. The bark is dark grey and mottled. The new leaves are hairy. The leaves are arranged in spirals. They are 15-30 mm long by 4-10 mm wide. The flowers are white. The fruit is almost round and 1 cm across. They are red to purple.

Edible Uses

The fruit is eaten as a snack.

Traditional Uses

The fruit is eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa,

Synonyms

Royena angustifolia Salisb.Royena falcata E. Mey. ex A. DC.Royena glabra L.Royena myrtifolia Salisb.

References (2)

Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 52
Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179