Diospyros thus avoided by most herbivores; when ripe they are eagerly eaten by many animals however, such as the rare Aders' duiker ("Cephalophus adersi"). The foliage is used as food by the larvae of numerous Lepidoptera species: Arctiidae: Geometridae: Limacodidae: Lycaenidae: Nymphalidae: Saturniidae: Tortricidae: An economically significant plant pathogen infecting many "Diospyros" species – "D. hispida", kaki persimmon ("D. kaki"), date-plum ("D. lotus"), Texas persimmon ("D. texana"), Coromandel ebony ("D. melanoxylon") and probably others – is the sac fungus "Pseudocercospora kaki", which causes a leaf spot disease. The genus includes several plants of commercial importance, either for their edible fruit (persimmons)
Diospyros leucomelas further from the coast. Diospyros leucomelas Diospyros leucomelas (marble ebony, bois d'ebene marbre or bois d'ebene a veines) is a species of tree endemic to Mauritius. This low, multi-stemmed tree species resembles the related species "Diospyros egrettarum" (and less so "Diospyros revaughanii") in its dark, rectangular, leathery leaves, rounded leaf-base, very short petiole, and short fruits. "Diospyros leucomelas" can be distinguished by the red midribs of its leaves though, which remain into adulthood and become especially prominent on the leaf undersides. Like the coastal "Diospyros egrettarum" it was most common along the eastern coast of Mauritius. However "D.leucomelas" usually grew