Abnus / Ebony
Diospyros ebenum
Also known as Ceylon Ebony, Malabar Ebony, East India Ebony, Black Sapote, Persimmon Ebony
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu
- Flowering
- February-August
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Variable
- Type
- Variable
- Margin
- Variable
- Venation
- Variable
Typical of the Ebenaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Variable
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Berry
Typical of the Ebenaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- abnus, ebans
- Tamil
- வெள்ளைத்துவரை
- Telugu
- karimara, malluti
- Kannada
- ಅಬನಸ Abanasa, ಅಬನಾಸಿ abanasi, ಅಬನಾಶಿ abanashi
- Malayalam
- ebony, kari, karimaram
- Marathi
- abnus, karmar
Abnus in India
This slow-growing tree, known as abnus (Hindi), வெள்ளைத்துவரை (Tamil), karimara (Telugu), ಅಬನಸ Abanasa (Kannada), ebony (Malayalam), abnus (Marathi), produces one of the world's most prized woods. Diospyros ebenum is found across Tamil Nadu, typically in dry evergreen forest.
Uses
Its dense, jet-black heartwood is the source of true ebony, historically used for fine furniture, carving and musical instrument parts — though slow growth and overharvesting have made old-growth ebony increasingly scarce.
How to Identify Abnus
A slow-growing evergreen tree with small, glossy, dark green leaves. Small, inconspicuous flowers are followed by round fruit; the tree is far more often identified by its wood than its foliage — the heartwood is famously jet black, though only mature trees develop it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ebony called in different Indian languages?
- abnus (Hindi); வெள்ளைத்துவரை (Tamil); karimara (Telugu); ಅಬನಸ Abanasa (Kannada); ebony (Malayalam); abnus (Marathi).
- Why is ebony wood so valuable?
- Only the mature heartwood is the prized jet-black colour, and the tree grows slowly, making genuine old-growth ebony increasingly scarce and valuable.
- Is all Diospyros wood black?
- No — jet-black true ebony comes from relatively few Diospyros species like this one; most other Diospyros trees, including common persimmons, have ordinary pale wood.
Ebenaceae
Ebony/Persimmon family
Abnus belongs to the Ebenaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Ebenaceae
View all Ebenaceae →Sources: GBIF — Diospyros ebenum (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Diospyros ebenum (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)