Diospyros discolor Willd., nom. illeg.

A dioecious, evergreen tree, 7-15(-32) m tall, trunk 50(-80) cm diameter, crown conical. "Leaves alternate, oblong, 8-30 cm x 2.5-12 cm, entire, base usually rounded, apex pointed, coriaceous; upper surface dark-green, shiny, glabrous, lower surface silvery hairy; young leaves pale-green to pinkish, silky-hairy; petiole up to 1.7 cm long. " Male flowers in 3-7 flowered axillary cymes; pedicel short; calyx tubular but deeply 4 lobed, about 1 cm long; corolla slightly larger than calyx, tubular, 4-lobed, creamy-white; stamens 24-30, united in pairs at base; female flowers solitary, axillary, subsessile, slightly larger than male flowers, with 4-5(8-10) staminodes. Fruit a globose or depressed-globose berry, 5-12 cm x 8-10 cm, velvety, brown-reddish, capped at base with the persistent stiff calyx; skin thin, densely coated with short golden-brown hairs, emanating a strong, cheese-like odour; flesh whitish, firm, rather dry, sweet, astringent, aromatic. Seeds 0-10, wedge-shaped, up to 4 cm x 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm, brown. The Philippines name 'mabolo' means hairy, referring to the hairy fruit.

In the Philippines the main flowering period is during the dry season in February-April, fruiting in June-September. Male trees must be planted near the female trees for effective pollination and fruit production.

Almost any soil.

D. blancoi grows well in areas with a monsoon climate from sea level to 800 m elevation, and on almost any soil. D. blancoi is very common and widespread in the Philippines and is found in both primary and secondary forest. It is very resistant to typhoons.

D. blancoi is also distributed in Taiwan, and cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Java, and other tropical countries. It is also cultivated in backyards.

D. blancoi is usually propagated by seed taking up to 24 days to germinate. It can be propagated vegetatively by marcotting, budding and grafting, the latter method being commercially used in the Philippines. In cleft grafting, 1-year-old seedlings are used as a rootstock. The scions are obtained from mature, current season's growth with well developed terminal buds and cut 10-12 cm long.

Plantation: Grafted young trees may be planted in the field 8-10 m apart at the onset of the rainy season. Seedling trees are planted along avenues at a spacing of 10-15 m. Once established in the field, the trees hardly receive any care. Husbandry: Watersprouts and interlacing branches of D. blancoi are occasionally pruned; so are branches that touch the ground.

Diseases: No serious disease has been reported. Pests: Some insects have been reported to feed on shoots and leaves: toy beetles, leaf rollers, slug and tussock caterpillars, bagworms and red scales. These are minor pests, however.

Ornamental: The tree is often planted for its rather sweet but dry edible fruits, and also as a roadside tree.

Food: The fruit is usually eaten fresh when ripe. It taste rather sweet but is quite dry. The flesh can also be diced and combined with that of other fruits in salads. Timber: The wood is smooth, durable and black and is much used in the Philippines in making handicrafts. The wood is also used as streaked ebony, especially for carvings and special furniture.