Diospyros crassiflora

Details Top

Internal ID UUID64401747ab364691167615
Scientific name Diospyros crassiflora
Authority Hiern
First published in Trans. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 12: 260 (1873)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Wood and fiber:
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Properties relevant to use:
Standards and regulation:
Sustainability and sourcing:

Common products:
The principal commercial product of Diospyros crassiflora is sawn or sliced heartwood, supplied as timber, veneer, and turning/carving blanks for high-value craft and instrument applications.

Wood and fiber:
The extremely dense, fine-textured, uniformly black heartwood is valued for turnery, carving, inlay, and specialty blanks. The species is a traditional source of ebony for fingerboards, tailpieces, nuts, bridges, and pegs on bowed and plucked string instruments; it is also used for fine tool handles, knife scales, chess pieces, brush backs, and small cabinetry. The wood is typically supplied as thick stock for turning, cut to finished dimensions for instrument components, and as rotary or sliced veneer for accent work.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented fragrance, cosmetic, or aromatic applications have been reported for D. crassiflora.

Properties relevant to use:
The heartwood is extremely dense and hard, with a fine, interlocked grain that accepts a high natural polish, resulting in deep, uniform black color and lustrous finish. These properties underpin its suitability for precision turning, carving, and fine instrument parts where dimensional stability and durability are essential. Like many ebony-type Diospyros, the heartwood is reported to be very durable and highly resistant to insect attack, contributing to long service life in finished goods.

Standards and regulation:
Processing and grading typically follow general hardwood timber standards and instrument-making norms (e.g., ISO 13061 for small clear wood specimens; standardized Janka hardness and dimensional stability tests). Trade is subject to applicable national timber and CITES/EU timber regulations for African hardwoods.

Sustainability and sourcing:
The species is harvested in Central and West Africa, and supply is constrained by habitat preferences and market demand. Procurement relies on certified forests and compliance with regional timber regulations to mitigate overharvesting.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Diospyros ampullacea Gürke Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 43: 329 (1909)
Diospyros evila Pierre ex A.Chev. Mém. Soc. Bot. France 8: 270 (1917)
Diospyros incarnata Gürke ex De Wild. Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. sér. 5, 2[3]: 335. 1908, nomen; et in Engl. Jahrb. xliii 213 (1909), descr.
Diospyros incarnata Gürke Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 43: 213 (1909)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English ebony
English gabon ebony
Arabic خرمال سميك الأزهار
German ebenholz
Japanese アフリカンエボニー
Japanese ディオスピュロス・クラスィフロラ
Chinese 厚瓣乌木

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Nigeria
    • West-central Tropical Africa
      • Cameroon
      • Central African Republic
      • Congo
      • Gabon
      • Zaïre

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000648727
Tropicos 11500450
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:322276-1
The Plant List kew-2769577
Open Tree Of Life 945375
NCBI Taxonomy 570480
IUCN Red List 33048
IPNI 322276-1
iNaturalist 191530
GBIF 4070878
Freebase /m/0gx12p3
EPPO DOSCF
USDA GRIN 411823
Wikipedia Diospyros_crassiflora

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Assessing plant diversity change in logged and unlogged dense semi-deciduous production forest of eastern Cameroon Hubert Kpoumie Mounmemi, Mensah Ekué MR, Funwi Preasious Forbi, Roger Kabelong Banoho LP, Tiokeng B, Maffo Maffo NL, Lagarde Jean Betti, Carole Mireil Votio Tchoupou, Amandine Flore Yonkeu Ntonmen, Taedoumg HE, Zapfack L Heliyon 12-May-2023
PMCID:PMC10199262
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16199
PMID:37215910
Plant Extracts Control In Vitro Growth of Disease-Causing Fungi in Chayote García-Ramírez E, Contreras-Oliva A, Salinas-Ruiz J, Hernández-Ramírez G, Spinoso-Castillo JL, Colmenares Cuevas SI Plants (Basel) 27-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10180525
doi:10.3390/plants12091800
PMID:37176858
Use and sustainability of wood in acoustic guitars: An overview based on the global market Calvano S, Negro F, Ruffinatto F, Zanuttini-Frank D, Zanuttini R Heliyon 14-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10147972
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15218
PMID:37128325
Traditional knowledge of plants used in hunting and fishing practices among Baka hunter-gatherers of eastern Cameroon Fongnzossie EF, Ngansop MT, Oishi T, Biwole AB, Biye EH, Ichikawa M J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 03-Jan-2023
PMCID:PMC9808952
doi:10.1186/s13002-022-00571-3
PMID:36597154
Improved wood species identification based on multi-view imagery of the three anatomical planes Rosa da Silva N, Deklerck V, Baetens JM, Van den Bulcke J, De Ridder M, Rousseau M, Bruno OM, Beeckman H, Van Acker J, De Baets B, Verwaeren J Plant Methods 11-Jun-2022
PMCID:PMC9188236
doi:10.1186/s13007-022-00910-1
PMID:35690828
The Influence of CNC Turning with VBMT, RCMX, 3ER, and MGMN Type Indexable Inserts on West African Ebony/Diospyros crassiflora, San Domingo Boxwood/Phyllostylon brasiliense, Rio Rosewood/Dalbergia nigra, Beechwood/Fagus sylvatica, Oakwood/Quercus robur, and Pinewood/Pinus silvestris Surface Roughness Bembenek M, Kudelski R, Pawlik J, Kowalski Ł Materials (Basel) 27-Sep-2021
PMCID:PMC8509783
doi:10.3390/ma14195625
PMID:34640023
Genome skimming reveals novel plastid markers for the molecular identification of illegally logged African timber species Mascarello M, Amalfi M, Asselman P, Smets E, Hardy OJ, Beeckman H, Janssens SB PLoS One 11-Jun-2021
PMCID:PMC8195358
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251655
PMID:34115787
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Three Endolichenic Isolates of Xylaria (Xylariaceae), from Cladonia curta Ahti & Marcelli (Cladoniaceae) Cañón ER, de Albuquerque MP, Alves RP, Pereira AB, Victoria FD Plants (Basel) 08-Oct-2019
PMCID:PMC6843379
doi:10.3390/plants8100399
PMID:31597306
Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Their Active Components Salehi B, Ata A, V. Anil Kumar N, Sharopov F, Ramírez-Alarcón K, Ruiz-Ortega A, Abdulmajid Ayatollahi S, Valere Tsouh Fokou P, Kobarfard F, Amiruddin Zakaria Z, Iriti M, Taheri Y, Martorell M, Sureda A, N. Setzer W, Durazzo A, Lucarini M, Santini A, Capasso R, Adrian Ostrander E, -ur-Rahman A, Iqbal Choudhary M, C. Cho W, Sharifi-Rad J Biomolecules 30-Sep-2019
PMCID:PMC6843349
doi:10.3390/biom9100551
PMID:31575072
Potential of Central, Eastern and Western Africa Medicinal Plants for Cancer Therapy: Spotlight on Resistant Cells and Molecular Targets Mbaveng AT, Kuete V, Efferth T Front Pharmacol 02-Jun-2017
PMCID:PMC5454075
doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00343
PMID:28626426
Food-Associated Calling in Gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in the Wild Luef EM, Breuer T, Pika S PLoS One 24-Feb-2016
PMCID:PMC4766192
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144197
PMID:26909518
The Influence of Seasonal Frugivory on Nutrient and Energy Intake in Wild Western Gorillas Masi S, Mundry R, Ortmann S, Cipolletta C, Boitani L, Robbins MM PLoS One 08-Jul-2015
PMCID:PMC4495928
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129254
PMID:26154509
African Flora Has the Potential to Fight Multidrug Resistance of Cancer Kuete V, Efferth T Biomed Res Int 15-Apr-2015
PMCID:PMC4413252
doi:10.1155/2015/914813
PMID:25961047
Leveraging biodiversity knowledge for potential phyto-therapeutic applications Sharma V, Sarkar IN J Am Med Inform Assoc 21-Mar-2013
PMCID:PMC3721164
doi:10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001445
PMID:23518859
Geological Substrates Shape Tree Species and Trait Distributions in African Moist Forests Fayolle A, Engelbrecht B, Freycon V, Mortier F, Swaine M, Réjou-Méchain M, Doucet JL, Fauvet N, Cornu G, Gourlet-Fleury S PLoS One 15-Aug-2012
PMCID:PMC3419707
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042381
PMID:22905127

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthoquinones
Plumbagin 10205 Click to see 188.18 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
(+)-Ursolic Acid 64945 Click to see 456.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Betulinic Acid 64971 Click to see 456.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid, 3beta-hydroxy- 2371 Click to see 456.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Lup-20(29)-en-3-ol, (3beta)- 521518 Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C 426.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006
Lupeol 259846 Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C 426.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006
Urs-12-en-28-oic acid, 3-hydroxy-, (3beta)- 220774 Click to see 456.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives
17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol 122544 Click to see 412.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
2-[[17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol 73072970 Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C 574.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Stigmasterol 5280794 Click to see 412.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Stigmasterol Glucoside 6602508 Click to see 574.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Coumarin glycosides
[(3R,4S,5S)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(5-methyl-2-oxochromen-4-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]methoxy]oxolan-3-yl]methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate 162980703 Click to see 590.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
[3,4-Dihydroxy-5-[[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(5-methyl-2-oxochromen-4-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]methoxy]oxolan-3-yl]methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate 162980702 Click to see 590.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
4-[(2R,3S,4R,5R,6S)-6-[[(2S,3S,4S)-3,4-dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-methylchromen-2-one 162856531 Click to see CC1=C2C(=CC=C1)OC(=O)C=C2OC3C(C(C(C(O3)COC4C(C(CO4)(CO)O)O)O)O)O 470.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
4-[6-[[3,4-Dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-methylchromen-2-one 162856530 Click to see 470.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Angular furanocoumarins
Crassiflorone 11674902 Click to see 360.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 4-hydroxycoumarins
Gerberinol 54714260 Click to see 364.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2R,3S,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one 44575467 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=C(OC4=CC(=CC(=C4C3=O)O)O)C5=CC=C(C=C5)O)CO)O)O)O)O)O 594.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
Kaempferol-3-O-glucorhamnoside 13915496 Click to see 594.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FITOTE.2010.05.011
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isochromanequinones / Benzoisochromanequinones
5-Hydroxy-16-methyl-13,21-dioxapentacyclo[12.8.0.02,11.04,9.015,20]docosa-1(14),2(11),4(9),5,7,15,17,19-octaene-3,10,22-trione 102060433 Click to see 360.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TETLET.2006.03.006

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