Back to Endemics list

These are mostly trees or bushes with alternate leaves that are simple, entire or astipulate. The flowers are unisexual, gamopetalous, actinomorphous, hypogynous, solitary or on axillary cymoses. The male flowers have numerous stamens usually between 6 and 60. The filaments occur in pairs, or are attached either on the receptacle or on the corolla. Female flowers have a superior syncarpous ovary with 2 to 8 locules. Each locule is divided into 2 compartments by a pseudo-partition, with each locule bearing one axile ovule apically. 

The fruit resembles a berry that is enclosed at the base by a rather large calyx. The grains also have abundant albumen. 
 

Some 400 species form part of this genus. All the indigenous species of the Mascareignes are endemic. 

All the tress or shrubs belonging to this genus are evergreen and dioecious. The wood is hard and the timber is usually black. The bark is cracked into characteristic sheets. The leaves may be petiolate or sessile. The midvein is distinct. The male inflorescence is composed of several sessile flowers with longitudinally or poricidally dehisced anthers. The ovary is rudimentary or may be reduced to a hairy protuberance. 

The female inflorescence bears flowers that have articulated pedicels. The corolla is rather short, with 4 to 8 locules. Very often, many staminodia are present. Two species belonging to the Ebenaceae family were observed at Mondrain, and these were Diospyros tessellaria and Diospyros revaughanii.