Diospyros laurina
| Diospyros laurina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foliage and fruit | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ebenaceae |
| Genus: | Diospyros |
| Species: | D. laurina |
| Binomial name | |
| Diospyros laurina | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
|
7 synonyms
| |
Diospyros laurina, commonly known as brown ebony, is a species of plant in the persimmon family Ebenaceae native to New Guinea and the eastern tropical coast of Queensland, Australia. It is a shrub or small tree that grows in rainforest. It has the conservation status of Least Concern.[1][4]
Description
Diospyros laurina is a small tree growing up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. Leaves are simple and entire (without divisions, lobes or teeth), and are arranged alternately on the twigs. Flowers occur singly in the leaf axils. The fruit is a three-lobed hairy berry, yellow to reddish, with a large persistent calyx encasing the basal third of the fruit.[4][5][6]
This species is dioecious, meaning that pistillate (functionally female) and staminate (functionally male) flowers are borne on separate plants.[5]
Distribution and habitat
It is an understory tree of rainforest and drier forest types, occurring in Papua New Guinea and Queensland. In Queensland its native range is from Shelburne southwards along the east coast to about Mackay.[7] The altitudinal range is from sea level to about 800 m (2,600 ft).[4]
Conservation status
As of May 2026, this species has been assessed to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and by the Queensland Government under its Nature Conservation Act.[1][8]
Gallery
Trunk with dark coloured bark
Foliage
Fruit
Detail
References
- 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group; Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). (2021). "Diospyros laurina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T112573979A197892541. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T112573979A197892541.en. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ "Diospyros laurina". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- 1 2 "Diospyros laurina (R.Br.) Jessup". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- 1 2 3 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Diospyros laurina". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- 1 2 Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-9581742-1-3.
- ↑ Wallnöfer, B.W. (2004). "Ebenaceae". In Kubitzki, Klaus (ed.). Flowering Plants, Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. Vol. 6. Berlin: Springer. pp. 128–129. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-07257-8. ISBN 978-3-642-05714-4.
- ↑ "Search: species: Diospyros laurina | Occurrence records". Australasian Virtual Herbarium. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "Taxon - Diospyros laurina". WildNet. Queensland Government. 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
External links
- Map of herbarium collections of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- Observations of this species on iNaturalist
- Images of this species on Flickriver.com