Bistendu / Mountain Persimmon
Diospyros cordifolia
Also known as Indian Ebony
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & more
- Flowering
- February-December
How to identify Bistendu
Identify Bistendu by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Heart-shaped leaf base.
- Confirm leaf shape: Cordate (heart-shaped).
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Ebenaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bistendu.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Diospyros cordifolia
- Genus
- Diospyros
- Family
- Ebenaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- Indo-Malesia to Australia
- Found in India
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Cordate (heart-shaped)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bistendu itself; the rest are typical of the Ebenaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Berry
Typical of the Ebenaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- बिसतॆंदु Bistendu, Kala dhao, Kendu, Dakanan
- Kannada
- ಜಗಳಗಂಟಿ Jagalaganti, ಕಲ್ನಂದಿ Kalnandi, ಬಿಲ್ಕುನಿಕ Bilkunika
- Marathi
- Lohari
- Telugu
- kakaulimera, kakavulimidi, kakiulimera, makha
- Bengali
- Tamal
- Mizo
- Zo-ruthei
About Bistendu
A member of the Ebenaceae family, Mountain Persimmon (Diospyros cordifolia) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and 6 other states. It grows in dry deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from February to December.
Ebenaceae
Ebony/Persimmon family
Bistendu belongs to the Ebenaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Ebenaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Bistendu or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides