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Diospyros mun - A.Chev. ex Lecomte

Common Name Mun Ebony, Vietnamese Ebony
Family Ebenaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Limestone mountains, at elevations below 800 metres[ 598 ].
Range Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Laos.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Diospyros mun Mun Ebony, Vietnamese Ebony


Diospyros mun Mun Ebony, Vietnamese Ebony

 

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Summary

Found in Southeast Asia, Diospyros mun is a small, slow-growing tree of up to 18 m in height and has a dense crown and cylindrical trunk of up to 40 cm in diameter that branches quite low down. It produces glossy black timber that is highly valued and overexploited. The seed, fruits, and leaves yield black dye which can be used for dyeing silk, cloth, and other materials. The bark is used for preserving alcoholic beverages.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Diospyros mun is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

No synonyms are recorded for this name.

Habitats

Edible Uses

None known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Dye  Preservative  Wood

Other Uses: A black dye is obtained from the fresh seeds[ 598 ]. It is used for dyeing silk, cloth, and other materials[ 598 ]. A black dye is obtained from the oily fruits and leaves[ 317 ]. The bark is used for preserving alcoholic beverages[ 317 ]. The heartwood is black, becoming glossy black when dry. The wood is hard and heavy[ 598 ]. A very precious timber, it is used for flower pots, statues, and especially for making chopsticks[ 598 ].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a sunny position[ 598 ]. Succeeds in poor soils[ 598 ]. Established plants are drought tolerant[ 598 ]. A slow growing tree[ 598 ]. The tree can regenerate by suckers produced near the stump[ 598 ]. We have seen no individual confirmation for this species, but in general Diospyros species are dioecious and require both male and female forms to be grown if fruit and seed are required[ 899 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - in general the seed of Diospyros species has a very short viability and so should be sown as soon as possible. The flesh should be removed since this contains germination inhibitors. Sow the seed in a shady position in a nursery seedbed. The sowing media for ebony uses soil and fine sand at the ratio 3:1. The seed is planted horizontally or vertically with the radicle end down, with a sowing depth of 1 - 1.5x the thickness of seed. Distance between the seeds is 3 - 5cm. Seeds are very sensitive to desiccation during germination and early growth, so must be regularly watered at this time. Normally the seed will germinate after one week[ 325 ]. As a rule fresh seeds have a high percentage of fertility. The seedlings develop long taproots at an early stage, often before any appreciable elongation of the shoot takes place. The growth of the seedling is decidedly slow [ 652 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Lao People's Democratic Republic; Viet Nam

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Critically Endangered A1cd

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Diospyros celebicaIndonesian Ebony, black ebony, makassar-ebenholtsTree30.0 10-12 SLMHNM204
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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A.Chev. ex Lecomte

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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