Date-plum

Date-plum
Botanical details of buds, flowers and fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ebenaceae
Genus:	Diospyros
Species:	D. lotus
Binomial name
Diospyros lotus L.

Diospyros lotus, better known as the Date-plum or Caucasian Persimmon is a widely cultivated species of the genus Diospyros, native to subtropical southwest Asia and southeast Europe. Its English name derives from the small fruit, which have a taste reminiscent of both plums and dates. It is among the oldest plants in cultivation.

Distribution and ecology

The species area extends from East Asia to the west of the Mediterranean, down to Spain. The Date-plum is native to southwest Asia and southeast Europe. It was known to the ancient Greeks as "the fruit of the gods" i.e. Dios pyros (lit. "the wheat of Zeus"), hence the scientific name of the genus. Its English name probably derives from Persian Khormaloo خرمالو literally "Date-Plum", referring to the taste of this fruit which is reminiscent of both plums and dates. This species is one candidate for the "lotus tree" mentioned in The Odyssey: it was so delicious that those who ate it forgot about returning home and wanted to stay and eat lotus with the lotus-eaters.^[1]

The tree grows in the lower and middle mountain zones, the Caucasus, usually up to 600 m above sea level. In Central Asia, it rises higher - up to 2000 m. The net stands Rarely forms, usually grows with the frame, ash, maple and other deciduous species. It is not demanding on the soil, can grow on rocky slopes, but requires high light, so well cleaned of twigs, which makes its stately columned trunks look.

It is cultivated at the limits of its range, as well as in the U.S. and North Africa.

Biological description

The leaves of date-plum.

The trunk of date-plum.

This is a tree height of 15-30 m with sloughing of aging bark.

The leaves are shiny, leathery, oval shape with pointed ends, 5-15 cm long and 3-6 cm in width.

The flowers are small, greenish, appearing in the June-July.

Fruits are berries with juicy flesh, yellow when ripe, 1-2 cm in diameter. Seeds with thin skin and a very hard endosperm.

Usage

The fruit of date-plum.

Caucasian persimmon fruits are edible and contain lots of sugars, malic acid, and vitamins. They are used as fresh fruits or after frost, but usually dried. Drying and frost destroy their tartness.

References

1. ^ "The Odyssey by Homer, p.76 of this public domain e-text". Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1727. Retrieved 2007-10-13. 

This botany article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Botany stubs Diospyros Fruit Trees of Greece Trees of Caucasus Trees of Iran Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат? Date-Mombetsu Station DateBid Look at other dictionaries: Date plum — Plum Plum, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus}; also, the tree itself, usually… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Date plum — Date Date, n.[F. datte, L. dactylus, fr. Gr. ?, prob. not the same word as da ktylos finger, but of Semitic origin.] (Bot.) The fruit of the date palm; also, the date palm itself. [1913 Webster] Note: This fruit is somewhat in the shape of an… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English date plum — noun an Asiatic persimmon tree cultivated for its small yellow or purplish black edible fruit much valued by Afghan tribes • Syn: ↑Diospyros lotus • Hypernyms: ↑persimmon, ↑persimmon tree * * * noun : persimmon; …   Useful english dictionary date plum — Lotus Lo tus (l[=o] t[u^]s), n. [L. lotus, Gr. lwto s. Cf. {Lote}.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A name of several kinds of water lilies; as {Nelumbium speciosum}, used in religious ceremonies, anciently in Egypt, and to this day in Asia; {Nelumbium luteum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English date-plum — kaukazinis juodmedis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Juodmedinių šeimos medieninis, vaisinis augalas (Diospyros lotus), paplitęs Azijoje. Naudojamas gėrimams gaminti, iš jo gaunamas kaučiukas. atitikmenys: lot. Diospyros lotus angl. date… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas) date plum — /ˈdeɪt plʌm/ (say dayt plum) noun a small tree from China and the Himalayan region, Diospyros lotus, family Ebenaceae, having small yellow or bluish fruit …   date plum — хурма …   English-Russian travelling dictionary Plum — Plum, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus}; also, the tree itself, usually called… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Plum bird — Plum Plum, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus}; also, the tree itself, usually… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Plum budder — Plum Plum, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus}; also, the tree itself, usually… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”