Diospyros malabarica
| Gaub Tree | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flowers of the Malabar Ebony | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ebenaceae |
| Genus: | Diospyros |
| Species: | D. malabarica |
| Binomial name | |
| Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Gaub Tree, Malabar ebony, Black-and-white Ebony or Pale Moon Ebony (Diospyros malabarica) (Bengali: গাব/দেশী গাব) is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae that is native to the India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South East Asia.
It is a long lived, very slow growing tree, which can reach up to 35 m in height with a black trunk up to 70 cm in diameter.[1] It is not attacked by insects. It is the provincial tree of Ang Thong Province in Thailand.
Common names
This tree was mentioned as Tinduka by Sanskrit writers.[2] In Sri Lanka, it is known as "Thimbiri", or "Thinduka". Clough's 19th century dictionary lists the name "Thinduka". Other common names include:
- Gaub, Indian persimmon = English
- Hindi: गाब ( Gaab )
- Tamil: தும்பிகா ( Tumbika )
- Marathi: Temburi
- Malayalam: Panancca
- Telugu: Bandadamara
- Kannada: Holitupare
- Sanskrit: तिन्दुक (Tinduka)
Fruit
The fruits are round, yellow when ripe. It may be somewhat often astringent, even when ripe.
Uses
Both the bark of the tree and the unripe fruit have medicinal uses in Ayurveda. Unripe leaves and fruits were traditionally used to dye cloth black. The tree exudes a glutinous substance used for caulking and sealing boats in the traditional way. The unripe fruit is rich in tannins and used for curing nets, leather etc.
References
External links
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