Propagation of the true ebony, Diospyros ebenum Koenig: A Review

By : Tresa Hamalto, S. J. Pooja, Almas Khanam

Page No: 209-214

Abstract 
Diospyros ebenum is an evergreen, slow-growing tree with a dense crown. There are over 600 species of evergreen timbers in the world, many of which are commercially valuable in the international trade of plywood, round wood, sawn wood and veneer, and high-quality wood has always been in demand. D. ebenum yields jet black wood with high density, which is one among the costliest woods. Due to its ease of polishing, D. ebenum finds uses in manufacturing musical and mathematical instruments, carved figures, cutlery handles, chopsticks, gaming pieces, door handles, brushes, combs and billiard cues. The heart wood is insect resistant and regarded as fancy wood, used for fine furniture, veneer and parquet floors. Nevertheless, the species is under threat due to illicit felling and slow germination in natural condition. Clonal propagation of valuable germplasm through vegetative propagation, propagation through seeds and in vitro propagation technologies are an integral component in tree improvement and conservation programs. Owing to its high value, this review is focused on the different propagation approaches that have been successful for D. ebenum.

Authors :
Tresa Hamalton, S. J. Pooja and Almas Khanam
Silviculture and Forest Management Division, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka 560003, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPSR.2021.37.01.26