Date-plum

Date-plum
Branches with fruit
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ebenaceae
Genus:	Diospyros
Species:	D. lotus
Binomial name
Diospyros lotus L.[2]
Synonyms[2]
Diospyros calycina Dippel Diospyros mediterranea Oken Diospyros umlovok Griff.

Diospyros lotus, with common names date-plum, Caucasian persimmon, or lilac persimmon, is a widely cultivated species of the

. It is among the oldest plants in cultivation.

Distribution and ecology

The species area extends from East Asia to the west of the Mediterranean, down to Spain. The date-plum is native to southwest Asia and southeast Europe. It was known to the ancient

The tree grows in the lower and middle mountain zones in the Caucasus. They usually grow up to 600 m above sea level. In Central Asia, it rises higher—up to 2000 m. They rarely grow in stands but often grow with hackberry, ash, maple and other deciduous species. It is not demanding on the soil and can grow on rocky slopes but requires a well lit environment.^[citation needed]

It is cultivated at the limits of its range, as well as in the U.S. and North Africa.^{[citation needed]}

Biological description

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This is a tree height of 15–30 m with sloughing of aging bark.

The leaves are shiny, leathery, oval-shaped with pointed ends, 5–15 cm long and 3–6 cm in width.

The flowers are small, greenish, appearing in June to July.

Fruits are berries with juicy flesh, yellow when ripe, 1–2 cm in diameter. Seeds with thin skin and a very hard endosperm.

• 
  Fruit
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  Leaves
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  Trunk

Usage

Caucasian persimmon fruits are edible and contain much sugar, malic acid, and vitamins. They are used as fresh fruits or after frost, but usually dried. Drying and frost destroy their tartness.^{[citation needed]}

References