| Ebenaceae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Diospyros sandwicensis | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ebenaceae Gürke[1] |
| Genera | |
See text | |
TheEbenaceae are afamily offlowering plants belonging toorderEricales. The family includesebony andpersimmon among about 768[2]species of trees and shrubs. It is distributed across thetropical and warmertemperate regions of the world.[3] It is most diverse in therainforests ofMalesia, India, Thailand,[4] tropical Africa and tropical America.[5]
Many species are valued for their wood, particularly ebony, for fruit, and asornamental plants.
The fruits containtannins, aplant defense against herbivory, so they are often avoided by animals when unripe. The ripe fruits of many species are a food source for diverse animal taxa. Thefoliage is consumed by insects.
The plants may have a strong scent. Some species have aromatic wood. They are important and conspicuous trees in many of their nativeecosystems, such as lowlanddry forests of the formerMaui Nui inHawaii,[6]Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests,Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests,Louisiade Archipelago rain forests,Madagascar lowland forests,Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests,New Guinea mangroves, andSouth Western Ghats montane rain forests.
Ebony is a dense black wood taken from several species in the genusDiospyros, includingDiospyros ebenum (Ceylon ebony, Indian ebony),Diospyros crassiflora (West African ebony, Benin ebony), andDiospyros celebica (Makassar ebony).Diospyros tesselaria (Mauritius ebony) was heavily exploited by the Dutch in the 17th century.
The family includestrees andshrubs. The leaves are usually alternately arranged, but some species have opposite or whorled leaves. Theinflorescence is usually a cyme of flowers, sometimes araceme or apanicle, and some plants produce solitary flowers. Most species aredioecious. The flower has 3 to 8 petals, which are joined at the bases. There are usually several single or pairedstamens, which are often attached to the inner wall of the corolla. Female flowers have up to 8stigmas.[3] Thecalyx is persistent.[7] The fruits areberry-like or capsular.[3] Like the wood of some species, the roots and bark may be black in color.[7]
The family name Ebenaceae is based on the genus nameEbenus, published byOtto Kuntze in 1891.[8] It is a later homonym ofEbenus L., a genus already named in the familyFabaceae, and is thusnomen illegitimum. The plant that Kuntze had namedEbenus was accordingly reassigned to the genusMaba, which in turn has since been included in the genusDiospyros.
Because the name Ebenaceae had become well known, having been used in major botanical references such as Bentham and Hooker'sGenera Plantarum,Engler andPrantl'sNatürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, andHutchinson'sFamilies of Flowering Plants, it wasconserved[9] and is therefore legitimate.[10]
During the last century, seven genera have been included in the family at one time or another.[3] Onephylogenetic analysis reduced the family to four genera:[7]
| Genus | Authority | Citation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diospyros | L. | Sp. Pl. 2: 1057–1058 | 1753 |
| Euclea | L. | Syst. Veg. (ed. 13) 747 | 1774 |
| Lissocarpa[11] | Benth. | Gen. Pl. 2(2): 667, 671 | 1876 |
| Royena | L. | Sp. Pl. 1: 397 | 1753 |
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