Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees. Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants.[2]
The generic name Diospyros comes from a Latin name for the Caucasian persimmon (D. lotus), derived from the Greek diós (Διός) and pyrós (πῡρός). The Greek name literally means “Zeus’s wheat” but more generally intends “divine food” or “divine fruit”.[3][4] Muddled translations sometimes give rise to curious and inappropriate interpretations such as “God’s pear” and “Jove’s fire”.
The genus is a large one and the number of species has been estimated variously, depending on the date of the source. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, list has over 1000 entries, including synonyms and items of low confidence. Over 700 species are marked as being assigned with high confidence.[5]
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