Characteristics of Ceylon Ebony Tree (Diospyros ebenum) in the Wild

Ceylon Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) is a species of tree in the genus Diospyros and the family Ebenaceae. This tree produces very good quality ebony.

Diospyros ebenum grows in southern India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. The type of wood found in North Sulawesi, Indonesia is Diospyros ebenum Koenig.

This tree has many names besides its international name Ceylon Ebony, for example in Japan it is called コクタン, in China 乌木 or 東印度烏木, and in Indonesia it is called Eboni Sri Lanka.

Diospyros ebenum wood has a light yellowish-gray color, with a shiny black core sometimes containing light fibers. The wood also has a metallic sheen with a fine texture whose grain can be straight, somewhat chaotic, and wavy.

In Sri Lanka, logging and selling Diospyros ebenum wood is illegal. This tree has valuable qualities such as:

• High wood hardness (twice as hard as Oak).
• Easy to polish (suitable for high-quality polishing, after which it becomes very smooth).
• Smooth and has no holes, provides a smooth, shiny surface, and is water and termite-resistant.
• The density of the wood is very high (up to 1,200 kg/m 3), so it sinks in water.

Polished Diospyros ebenum wood is cold to the touch, and its heat emission is so high that it causes the metal vessel in which it is burned to melt.

In the past, Diospyros ebenum wood was used to make luxury furniture made entirely from it. Today, Diospyros ebenum wood is commonly used in decorative wood pieces, handmade works of art, and for the parts of musical instruments that tend to be the most frequently used (e.g. piano keys and necks for intricately shaped instruments). It is also commonly used in making chopsticks, tool handles, and furniture.

 

Characteristics of Ceylon Ebony Leaf

The leaves are elliptical with an elongated oval shape, about 6-15 cm long and 3-5 cm wide.
 

Characteristics of Ceylon Ebony Flower

The flowers are solitary or arranged in cymose flowers of 3-15. The size is about 1-2 cm, the petals have 4 sepals and the crown has 4 petals. Male flowers have an androecium consisting of 16 or 32 stamens and female flowers have a gynoecium with 4 conatus styles and 8 staminodes.

The flowers bloom from April to May and bear fruit from June to August.
 

Characteristics of Ceylon Ebony Fruit

The fruit is not very large, about 2 cm in diameter, resembling a small persimmon. The fruit has triangular to ellipsoid-shaped blackish-brown seeds measuring about 1.5 cm.
 

Characteristics of Ceylon Ebony Tree

The Ceylon Ebony tree has very slow growth and it can grow to a medium size reaching 20-25 meters. The bark is dark gray to black.

Ceylon Ebony was introduced and cultivated as an ornamental plant in other parts of the world, such as Florida (United States) or Peninsular Malaysia. This tree can grow in disturbed soil at an altitude close to sea level.