Diospyros maingayi (Hiern.) Bakh., Gard. Bull. S. S. 7 (1933)

Synonyms
Diospyros bilocularis Oliv.
Ebenus maingayi (Hiern) Kuntze
Maba maingayi Hiern.
Maba motleyi Hiern.

Diagnostics
Mid-canopy tree up to 34 m tall and 56 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, simple, penni-veined but secondary venation barely visible, glabrous, drying almost black. Flowers ca. 4.5 mm in diameter, white-yellow-orange, with corolla tube, placed in bundles in the leaf axil. Fruit ca. 40 mm long, orange-red, fleshy berry.

Description
Tree to 34 m tall or more and 56 cm diameter. Twigs drying black. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous to velvety below, drying consistently black on both sides; elliptic, 8-20 x 5-11 cm, base rounded or broadly cuneate, apex rounded, retuse or shortly acuminate; midrib sunken above; lateral veins prominulous, 5-9 pairs, faintly inarching and joining to form intramarginal vein-loops near leaf margin; intercostal venation invisible; petiole 1.5-2 cm long. Male inflorescences 0.5-1.2 cm long, often in axillary clusters of up to 4 per node, each bearing a solitary flower. Male flowers with calyx divided into 4-5 semi-circular lobes. Female inflorescences 1-1.5 cm long, each bearing 2-4 flowers. Female flowers resembling male except more bulging at base. Fruits in clusters of 2-4, on 1-1.5 cm long stalks, oblong-ellipsoid, to c. 5 x 3.5 cm, drying woody, smooth and glabrous. Fruit calyx not accrescent; lobes spreading, rounded, c. 0.5 x 0.4 cm. [from Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak]

Ecology
In undisturbed mixed dipterocarp, keranga, freshwater swamp and peat swamp forests up to 1100 m altitude. On alluvial (swampy) sites with poor, sandy soils.

Uses
The timber is used as ebony.

Distribution
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.

Local names
Borneo: Kayu arang, Kayu malam, Merpining daun besar, Uwar belang haduk.