Diospyros buxifolia (Blume) Hiern., Trans. Cambr. Phil. Soc. 12, 2 (1873)

Synonyms
Diospyros elegantissima Bakh.
Diospyros microphylla Bedd.
Diospyros munda Hiern
Ebenus buxifolia (Blume) Kuntze
Leucoxylum buxifolium Bl.
Maba elegans Ridl.

Diagnostics
Midcanopy tree up to 39 m tall and 92 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, simple, penniveined but venation barely visible, leaves very small, petioles glabrous to hairy. Flower ca. 3 mm in diameter, white, with narrow corolla tube, placed in small bundles or solitary. Fruit ca. 14 mm long, green, fleshy drupe.

Description
Tree to 20 m, rarely to 39 m tall and up to 92 cm diameter. Twigs velvety when young, glabrescent, not tending to dry black. Leaves chartaceous, dull greenish and glabrous to hairy below; rhombicelliptic (with 4 opposite sides parallel to each other) or ovate, 1.3每5(每6) x 0.5每2.2 cm, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate; midrib above prominulous and hairy; lateral veins faint, arching and diminishing toward leaf margin; intercostal venation invisible; petiole c. 0.1 cm long. Male inflorescences 0.1每0.5 cm long, each bearing 2每5 clustered tiny flowers. Male flowers ovoid or globose in bud, c. 0.2 cm long; calyx hairy, divided almost to base into 4 imbricate ovate lobes; corolla to c. 0.2 cm long, ovoid or globose. Female inflorescences 0.1每0.2 cm long, each bearing tiny solitary flower. Female flowers with calyx hairy, divided almost to base into 4 imbricate ovate lobes. Fruits solitary, subsessile, on 0.1每0.2 cm long stalks, ellipsoid, to c. 1.6 x 1 cm. Fruit calyx not accrescent; lobes c. 0.1 x 0.2 cm.

Ecology
In undisturbed forests up to 1700 m altitude. From swampy, alluvial places to hillsides and ridges with sandy to clay soils, also on limestone containing soils.

Uses
The wood is used for poles and posts.

Distribution
Sri Lanka, India, IndoChina, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo, Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea.

Local names
Borneo: Benuang ranka, Kayu malam, Kayu malam gunung, Ki merak, Meribu, Pachar hutan, Pimbagas, Rangka, Rangkemi, Samak, Sari berangkat, Tanah melawi.