About Gaab Fruit(Ebenaceae)

Velvet Apple/Mabolo (Gaab) is a medium sized large evergreen tree growing to a hight of 20 meter.The oblong-acute leaves are 10 to 25 cm long.The leaves are glossy green,smooth above and soft hairy below.Femel flowers are axillary and solitary,larger than male.Fruits are fleshy,globose,upto 8-10 cm diameter, At the end of spring, the extraordinary red-brown leaves appear. This is one of the main characteristics of the plant. The entire tree looks great at that time. Leaves are simple, dark green, hard, smooth on upper side, petioled, alternate, lanceolate, 10-20 cm long and 4-7 cm wide. Leaves grow thickly on black branches.Flowers are white, scented, with 4 thick petals; sepals 4. The plant produces flowers in March-April.

Male and female flowers bloom separately. Female flowers usually grow singly from leaf axil while the male ones bloom in cluster on cyme inflorescence. 2-7 male flowers bloom together, while female ones bloom as singles on leaf axil. Male flowers are bigger and whiter than the female ones. The fruit with calyx is berry, round, fleshy and yellow when ripe. They are 4-5 cm wide. Seed 4-8. Propagation of the plant is caused by seedsGaab fruit plants in Keralais now available in our farms..

Genus : Diospyros

Clade : Asterids