African ebony

Where does African ebony grow?

Found in: Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are about 485 species of Diospyros mostly in the tropics. Chemical composition (Sudan sample, after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 3.0% (dry). Fat = 0.9% )(dry). Fibre (crude) = 16.5% (dry). Ash = 4.5% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 6.1% (dry). Sucrose = 0% (dry). D-Glucose = 7.61% (dry). F-Fructose = 9.9% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 5.7g. Threonine = 3.0g. Serine = 3.3g. Glutamic acid = 6.6g. Proline = 7.6g. Glycine = 4.0g. Alanine = 3.3g. Valine = 4.3g. Cysteine = 1.0g. Methionine = 1.0g. Isoleucine = 3.7g. Leucine = 5.0g. Tyrosine = 2.0g. Phenylalanine = 3.3g. Lysine = 4.0g. Histidine = 2.3g. Arginine = 4.0g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.05% (dry). Phosphorus = 0.11% (dry). Magnesium = 0.08% (dry). Calcium = 0.37% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.51% (dry). Zinc = 5 mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 192 mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 5 kg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 1 mg/kg-1 (dry).

Status: It is a commonly used food plant in West Africa.

Growing African ebony

Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. Seeds take about one month to germinate. Seeds can be covered in boiling water and left to soak overnight before planting. They can also be grown by coppicing and by root suckers. They can be grown by cuttings. Seeds need plenty of moisture to germinate well. Fruit are often collected from the ground but can be picked from the tree.

Edible Uses: The fruit are eaten fresh or dried. They are also made into a porridge. The fruit can be dried and stored. The seeds are also edible. The fruit are also used to make beer, or wine. The fruit can be used for jam, and sweets.

Production: Small plants are slow growing but they grow taller after a few months. Flowering occurs during the rainy season and fruiting during the dry season. It is about 6-8 months from flowering to mature fruit. Fruit mature faster in hot dry places.

Nutrition Info

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