Diospyros blancoi

"Kamagong" redirects here. For the 1987 film, see Kamagong (film).

Velvet apple
A velvet apple
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ebenaceae
Genus: Diospyros
Species:
D. blancoi
Binomial name
Diospyros blancoi
A.DC.
Synonyms
  • Cavanillea mabolo Poir.
  • Cavanillea philippensis Desr.
  • Diospyros discolor Willd.
  • Diospyros durionoides Bakh.
  • Diospyros mabolo (Poir.) Roxb. ex Lindl.
  • Diospyros mabolo Roxb. ex J.V.Thomps.
  • Diospyros malacapai A.DC.
  • Diospyros merrillii Elmer
  • Diospyros philippensis (Desr.) Gürke
  • Diospyros utilis Hemsl.
  • Embryopteris discolor (Willd.) G.Don
  • Mabola edulis Raf.

Diospyros blancoi, (synonym Diospyros discolor), commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree,[1] is a tree of the genus Diospyros of ebony trees and persimmons. It produces edible fruit with a fine, velvety, reddish-brown fur-like covering. The fruit has a soft, creamy, pink flesh, with a taste and aroma comparable to peaches.[2]

It is widely distributed and native to the Philippines, but it is also native to eastern and southern Taiwan.[3][1][4] It has also been introduced to other parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Caribbean, Florida, and other tropical regions.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Diospyros blancoi". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 20 Nov 2016.
  2. ^ Hargreaves, Dorothy; Hargreaves, Bob (1970). Tropical Trees of the Pacific. Kailua, Hawaii: Hargreaves. p. 29.
  3. ^ Boning, Charles R. (2006). Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. p. 135. ISBN 1561643726.
  4. ^ Hung, Sheng-Feng; Roan, Su-Feng; Chang, Tsu-Liang; King, Hen-Biau; Chen, Iou-Zen (January 2016). "Analysis of aroma compounds and nutrient contents of mabolo (Diospyros blancoi A. DC.), an ethnobotanical fruit of Austronesian Taiwan". Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 24 (1): 83–89. doi:10.1016/j.jfda.2015.08.004. PMC 9345435. PMID 28911412.
  5. ^ Morton, Julia F. (1987). Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems. ISBN 9780961018412.