Diospyros Diospyros Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees. Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. The generic name "Diospyros" comes from a Latin name for the Caucasian persimmon ("D. lotus"), derived from the Greek "diós" () and "pyrós" (). The Greek name literally means
Diospyros revaughanii the island's (now extinct) species of giant tortoise - and possible also by the dodo - which dispersed the seeds. The absence of these natural seed dispersers could be the reason for the poor seed germination in habitat today. This species is one of eleven surviving species of ebony tree which naturally occur on Mauritius - all of them endemic. Several additional species are now extinct. Diospyros revaughanii Diospyros revaughanii is a rare species of tree in the family Ebenaceae (ebony). The tree is one of several species of ebony tree which are endemic to the island of Mauritius, in