{{Short description|Species of persimmon}} {{Redirect|Kamagong|the 1987 film|Kamagong (film)}} {{Speciesbox |name = Velvet apple |image = Diospyros discolor (velvet apple, velvet persimmon or mabolo tree) of Bangladesh 02.jpg |image_caption = A velvet apple |status = |status_system = |genus = Diospyros |species = blancoi |authority = 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''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | accessdate = 20 Nov 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hargreaves|first1=Dorothy|last2=Hargreaves|first2=Bob|title=Tropical Trees of the Pacific|year=1970|publisher=Hargreaves|location=Kailua, Hawaii|page=29}}</ref>
It is widely distributed and native to the Philippines, but it is also native to eastern and southern Taiwan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boning|first=Charles R. |title=Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines|year=2006|publisher=Pineapple Press, Inc. |location=Sarasota, Florida|isbn=1561643726|page=135}}</ref><ref name=GRIN /><ref name="Hung">{{cite journal |last1=Hung |first1=Sheng-Feng |last2=Roan |first2=Su-Feng |last3=Chang |first3=Tsu-Liang |last4=King |first4=Hen-Biau |last5=Chen |first5=Iou-Zen |title=Analysis of aroma compounds and nutrient contents of mabolo (Diospyros blancoi A. DC.), an ethnobotanical fruit of Austronesian Taiwan |journal=Journal of Food and Drug Analysis |date=January 2016 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=83–89 |doi=10.1016/j.jfda.2015.08.004 |language=en|doi-access=free |pmid=28911412 |pmc=9345435 }}</ref> It has also been introduced to other parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Caribbean, Florida, and other tropical regions.<ref name="Morton">{{cite book |last1=Morton |first1=Julia F. |title=Fruits of Warm Climates |date=1987 |publisher=Creative Resources Systems |isbn=9780961018412 |url=https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html}}</ref>
==Cultivation== It is a dioecious tropical tree that grows well in a diversity of soil, from sea level to {{convert|2400|ft|m|order=flip|round=50}} above sea level. Seed trees are normally planted {{convert|30-45|ft|m|order=flip|round=5}} from each other; this one can be planted from {{convert|25-30|ft|m|round=0.5|order=flip}} from each other. It needs a good distribution of rainfall through the year. Trees that were planted by seeds could take 6 or 7 years to give out fruit, but trees that were propagated by cuttings produce fruit in 3 or 4 years. It is a very productive tree.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
The fact that fruits vary greatly – in shape, color, hairiness and taste – suggests that there is a great deal of genetic variation in the plant. Seedless cultivars exist, and are highly favored since in the normal varieties the large seeds occupy a considerable volume of the fruit.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
<gallery widths="200" heights="200"> File:Velvet apple (Diospyros discolor).jpg|Velvet apple (Diospyros discolor) File:Velvet apple (sliced).jpg|Velvet apple (sliced) File:Velvet apple (Diospyros discolor) seeds.jpg|Velvet apple (Diospyros discolor) seeds Image:Mabolo (Diospyros blancoi) fruit.jpg|Mabolo fruit </gallery>
==Timber== thumb|A Kamagong chair Like that of other trees in Dyospiros, which includes ebony, Kamagong timber is extremely dense and hard and is famous for its dark color.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
The wood is generally used for house construction which include flooring, post, doors, and windows, among others.<ref name="ERDB-2010">{{cite book |title=Traditional and Emerging Species for Furniture and Handicraft Industries |date=2010 |publisher=Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau |location=ERDB, College, Laguna, Philippines |isbn=978-971-8831-28-1 |page=31 |url=http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Furniture%20and%20Handicraft.pdf |access-date=4 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204011801/http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Furniture%20and%20Handicraft.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2021}}</ref> Finished products from kamagong wood, such as fine furniture and decoratives can be exported, provided that they are properly documented and approved by the Customs authorities.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Kamagong is also popular for martial arts training implements such as bokken and eskrima sticks.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maningas |first1=Rad |title=Balintawak: Lessons in Eskrima |date=8 Apr 2015 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-1-4917-4997-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYUeCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT33 |access-date=4 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
==Secondary metabolites== The leaves of velvet apple trees have been shown to contain isoarborinol methyl ether (also called cylindrin) and fatty esters of α- and β-amyrin.<ref name="pmid19731144">{{cite journal | author = Ragasa, CY | author2 = Puno, MR | author3 = Sengson, JMA | author4 = Shen, CC | author5 = Rideout, JA| author6 = Raga, DD | title = Bioactive triterpenes from Diospyros blancoi | journal = Natural Product Research | volume = 23 | issue = 13 | pages = 1252–1258 |date=November 2009 | pmid = 19731144 | doi = 10.1080/14786410902951054 | s2cid = 205836127 }}</ref> Both isoarborinol methyl ether and the amyrin mixture demonstrated antimicrobial activity against ''Escherichia coli'', ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'', ''Candida albicans'', ''Staphylococcus aureus'' and ''Trichophyton mentagrophytes''.<ref name="pmid19731144"/> Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties have also been shown for the isolated amyrin mixture.<ref name="pmid19731144"/>
==Governance== It is an endangered tree species and protected by Philippine law – it is illegal to export kamagong timber from the country without special permission from the Bureau of Forestry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
==See also== * ''Diospyros mespiliformis'' * Mangosteen * Persimmon
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Diospyros blancoi|''Diospyros discolor''}} * {{Wikispecies-inline|Diospyros discolor|''Diospyros discolor''}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q571266|from2=Q87601999}}
blancoi Category:Edible fruits Category:Fruit trees Category:Fruits originating in Asia Category:Plants described in 1844 Category:Trees of Taiwan Category:Trees of the Philippines