Diospyros ramulosa fruit

The spherical fruit of Diospyros ramulosa becomes 1 cm to 2 cm in diameter. It is fleshy, yellow, orange or brown when ripe.

The fruit is covered in soft, short hairs. The five-lobed calyx tends to persist at the back of the fruit. These pointed lobes, up to 5 mm long, curl back in this species, away from the fruit.

This is a well-known veld fruit, sought after by the local people. Some know not to eat too many at a time as constipation may be caused. Animals and birds also often eat the fruits, contributing to seed dispersal.

The small, urn-shaped flowers that preceded the fruit grow solitary from leaf axils, nodding on short stalks. The flowers are cream to greenish white, the five petals recurving strongly, similar to those of some other members of the Ebenaceae genus. The five green calyx lobes are small during the flowering phase. Flower size varies from 5 mm to 1 cm in length.

Flowering happens from mid-autumn to early spring (Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).