Diospyros glabra

Diospyros glabra (SA Tree List No. 603.1), the fynbos star-apple, is an evergreen small tree or shrub of mainly the Western Cape fynbos mountain slopes and forest margins.

The leaves are spirally arranged, small and elliptic. Leaf colour is dark green above, paler below. Both surfaces are glossy, the texture leathery.

The reddish colour of the new branchlets can be seen in the picture. Older bark is dark grey and mottled (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997).