Diospyros Blancoi Plant - Velvet Apple, Mabolo Tree, Temburini

Diospyros Blancoi

Diospyros Blancoi is a medium-sized tree growing to a height of 20 meters. Leaves are leathery, oblong, up to 20 centimeters long, with a round base and acute tip. The blade is glossy green, smooth above and softly hairy below. Female flowers are axillary and solitary, larger than the male. Fruits are fleshy, globose, up to 8-10 centimeters in diameter, densely covered with short brown hairs. The pulp is edible. The fruit hairs have to be rubbed off before eating as it can cause peri-oral itching and irritation.

Distribution

In forests, at low and medium altitudes.

A shade tree, it is planted along roads and parks.

Constituents

• Ethyl acetate extract of air-dried leaves yielded (1) isoarborinol methyl ether, (2) a mixture of a-amyrin palmitate, a-amyrin palmitoleate, ß-amyrin palmitate and ß-amyrin palmitoleate and squalene.

• Yields triterpenes.

• Leaf extract yielded alkaloids, reducing sugar, gum, flavonoids, and tannins.

• Fruit is high in tannin

Properties

• Considered astringent, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial.

Parts utilized

Roots and leaves.

Uses

Edibility / Nutrition

Fruit is edible, the tannin content declining as it ripens.

A good source of vitamins A, C, and minerals.