Bisbul (Diospyros blancoi)

Bisbul (Diospyros blancoi) is a plant species in the Ebenaceae family. It is a tree reaching a height of 15-32 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. The trunk is straight, covered in black or blackish bark, and features horizontal, tiered branching. Its crown is conical, dense, and thickly foliated, creating a dark interior.

The leaves of D. blancoi are arranged alternately and are oblong in shape, measuring 2.5–12 cm in width and 8–30 cm in length. They have entire margins, rounded bases, and pointed tips, with petioles approximately 1.7 cm long. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green, glossy, and leathery, while the underside is covered in fine, silvery hairs. Young leaves range in color from bright green to bright red.

The flowers grow in the leaf axils. Male flowers are arranged in branched, umbel-like clusters of 3–7 blossoms; they are four-parted, with tubular, milky-white corollas. Female flowers are solitary, short-stalked, and also situated in the leaf axils.

The fruit is round or oblate (flattened-spherical), measuring 5–12 cm by 8–10 cm. It is covered in fine, velvety hairs and transitions from reddish-brown to a bright, somewhat dull red when ripe; the calyx persists at the top. The flesh is whitish, firm, dense, and relatively dry, with a sweet, slightly astringent taste and a fragrant aroma. The fruit is encased in a thin, hairy skin and emits a strong odor, somewhat reminiscent of cheese or durian. Each fruit contains up to 10 wedge-shaped seeds with brownish coats, measuring approximately 4 × 2.5 × 1.5 cm at their thickest points.

This species thrives in tropical regions across various soil types, at elevations ranging from 0 to 800 meters. The tree is cultivated for its fruit, which can be eaten fresh or used as an ingredient in beverages and rujak (a traditional Indonesian fruit salad). It features a beautiful canopy and is frequently planted in gardens and along roadsides.

The wood is of high quality—ranging in color from reddish-brown to black—with a fine texture, great strength, and hardness. It is used for house construction, flooring, pillars, doors, and windows, as well as for high-quality furniture and decorative items. The wood is also a popular material for martial arts training equipment, such as bokken (wooden swords) and eskrima sticks.

Nutritional content varies depending on the source and the region where the plant is grown. Per 100 grams, it contains 62–88 kcal of energy, 3.2–4.1 grams of dietary fiber, 38.8–46 milligrams of calcium, and 2.2–16 milligrams of vitamin C. These variations are influenced by the plant variety, stage of ripeness, soil conditions, and the analytical methods used.

Various parts of the plant contain compounds such as triterpenes—including betulinic acid, lupeol, alpha-amyrin, and beta-amyrin—as well as naphthoquinones like diospyrin, along with flavonoids and ellagic acid derivatives. The fruit contains 39 volatile compounds, with esters and alpha-farnesene serving as the dominant components that create its distinctive aroma.

Most of these pharmacological findings are still in the stage of laboratory or animal testing and have not yet undergone clinical trials in humans. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat high blood pressure, fever, and digestive issues, while a decoction of the bark is used for coughs and diarrhea. Extracts from the seeds and leaves contain flavonoids and have demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in laboratory tests.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Ebenaceae
Genus: Diospyros L. in Sp. Pl.: 1057 (1753)
Species: Diospyros blancoi A.DC. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 8: 237 (1844)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cavanillea mabolo Poir. in Tabl. Encycl. 2: t. 454 (1794)
Cavanillea philippensis Desr. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, Encycl. 3: 663 (1792)
Diospyros discolor Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 1108 (1806)
Diospyros durionoides Bakh. in Gard. Bull. Straits Settlem. 7: 169 (1933)
Diospyros mabolo (Poir.) Roxb. ex Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 14: t. 1139 (1828)
Diospyros mabolo Roxb. ex J.V.Thomps. in Cat. Exotic Pl. Mauritius, ed. 2: 24 (1822)
Diospyros malacapai A.DC. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 8: 237 (1844)
Diospyros merrillii Elmer in Leafl. Philipp. Bot. 5: 1775 (1913)
Diospyros philippensis (Desr.) Gürke in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(1): 164 (1891)
Diospyros utilis Hemsl. in Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 9: 154 (1895)
Embryopteris discolor (Willd.) G.Don in Gen. Hist. 4: 41 (1837)
Mabola edulis Raf. in Sylva Tellur.: 11 (1838)

PUBLICATIONS

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

VERNACULAR NAME

Chinese (simplified): 异色柿
Chinese (traditional): 毛柿 - 臺灣黑檀
English: Bisbul, Butter fruit, Velvet apple, Velvet persimmon, Mabolo
Filipino: Mabolo, Kamagong, Talang
French: Pommier velours
Indonesia: Bisbul, Buah mentega
Java: Sembolo
Malaysia: Buah lemah, Buah sagalat, Kayu mantega
Melayu: Buah lemak
Sunda: Mabolo
Tagalog: Mabolo, Kamagong, Tabang
Taiwan: 毛柿
Thai: มะริด

Aryo Bandoro
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