Habitat : Old-growth riverine forest
Local name : Anang
Botanical name : Diospyros pyrrhocarpa
Family : Ebenaceae
Specimen height : 5-10 meters
Trunk : Erect, lean, slighty buttressed; Bark smooth to cracked, dull grey, mossy or lichenous
Leaf : Alternate; Elliptic, apex acuminate, base acute,
firm, glossy, rich green
Fruit : Berry; Round (about 1.5-2.5 cms in width and 3-4 cms in length), brown, velvety, with enlarged crown-like 4-parted calyx; Rind whitish, thick; Seeds large, elongated, brown, numerous (3-8 or more), surrounded by thin translucent edible aril
Fruiting season : May to September
Traits : Dioecious; Evergreen; Low to medium altitude tree; Shade tolerant; Small to medium-sized tree
Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyard planting; Fruit collector’s item; Garden tree; Living fence; Reforestation tree; Riparian management; Specimen tree; Wildcrafting
Used for : Aril surrounding the seed is edible; The timber is known as ebony and is used for carving and in making furnitures
Native range : Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and The Philippines
National conservation status : Endangered Species (DENR AO 2007-1)
Threat : Indiscriminate cutting of wild trees for fuelwood and charcoal production
Further readings :
DENR AO 2007-1 Establishing the National List of Threatened Philippine Plants and Their Categories, and the List of Other Wildlife Species
Revised Lexicon of Philippine Trees (J. Rojo) (411)