Coromandel Ebony

Location in BHU campus : Planted in Botanical garden.

Botanical name : Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb.

Family : Ebenaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Gujarati-Tamrug; Hindi-Tendu, timburni; Kannada-Abanasi, bale, tumari; Malayalam-Kari; Marathi-Tendu, tumri; Oriya-Kendu; Sanskrit-Dirghapatraka; Tamil-Karundumbi, tumbi; Telugu- Mancigata, nallatumki, tumki.

English / Trade names : Coromandel Ebony ,Bidi-leaf tree

A tree attaining a height of about 20 m and a girth up to 2 m. Bark is greyish black,peeling back as rectangular scales .The branches have spines.Leaves mostly sub-opposite, coriaceous, elliptic or elliptic-oblong,hairy underneath.Male and female flowers on different trees. Flowers unisexual; male flowers 3-12 together in panicled drooping cymes; female flowers solitary, longer than the male. Fruit globose or ovoid, about 2.5-3.0 cm in diameter; seeds 2-8.

Flowering: May-June

Fruiting: Ripens following April-May

• Sacred value

The black wood of this tree, in place of ‘Sandal’wood, is ground into a paste and smeared over the face and body after worshipping the gods.

• Uses

It is a source of Coromandel Ebony, which consists of the black heartwood, and is a substitute for true ebony.Wood is used for carving. Fruit is edible. Leaves are esteemed for wrapping bidis.Leaves have medicinal value. Dried flowers are used in urinary and skin troubles. Decoction of the bark is used in diarrhoea and dyspepsia.