Akkasarali / Forest Ebony
Diospyros sylvatica
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- March-July; September. Onwards
How to identify Akkasarali
Identify Akkasarali 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: Forest-understory tree.
- Confirm leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: March-July; September. Onwards.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Ebenaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Akkasarali.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Diospyros sylvatica
- Genus
- Diospyros
- Family
- Ebenaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Damp forests, deciduous forests, evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- Indo-Malesia
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-July; September. Onwards
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Akkasarali 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
- Kannada
- ಅಕ್ಕಸರಳಿ Akkasarali, ಬಾಳಿಸರಳಿ Baali sarali, ಕಾಕಿಸರಳಿ Kaaki sarali
- Malayalam
- Manjathuvara, Karimaram, മഞ്ഞത്തുവര
About Akkasarali
Forest Ebony (Diospyros sylvatica) belongs to the Ebenaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and 5 other states. It grows in damp forests, deciduous forests, evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from March to July; September. Onwards.
Ebenaceae
Ebony/Persimmon family
Akkasarali belongs to the Ebenaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Ebenaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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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.
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