(Ebenaceae) Diospyros morrisiana Hance ex Walp.

Local name(s): (kohk koh hab)

Medicinal use(s): treat diarrhea. 

Part(s) used: root

Field Characters: Small treelet, leaves bright green, fruits (2” in diameter) orange, mottled brown, with greenish-brown persistent calyx.

Locality: Xiengkhouang Province, Kham District, Xiengkhouang Medicinal Biodiversity Preserve.

Habitat: Roadside. Good quality, secondary tropical rainforest, on a mountain slope. mountain road between Muang Kham and Ban Tha.

Altitude: 1137 m asl. 

Collector(s): J. M. Henkin, K. Sydara, M. Xayvue, D. D. Soejarto

Collection number(s): JMH 0035

Collection Date: December 10, 2015

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession no. 2320545.
Project: CCF

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Plants of the World onlineFlora of China Vol. 15 Page 223GBIF | Global Biodiversity Information FacilityUseful Tropical Plants: Diospros morrisiana


Medicinal properties:

Chen Van Tran, Nguyen Trong Nghia et al. Ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties of Diospyros mollis Griff.: A Review. Natural Product Communications 19(2). First published online February 25, 2. DOI:10.1177/1934578X241233459  

Fankam AG, Nchiozem-Ngnitedem V-A, Seukep AJ, et al. Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of the genus Diospyros. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2026, volume 356, 120763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.120763. 

Fareed N, El-Kersh DM, Youssef FS, Labib RM. Unveiling major ethnopharmacological aspects of genus Diospyros in context to its chemical diversity: A comprehensive overview. Journal of Food Biochemistry  2022, 46, e14413. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14413

Ramadwa, T. E., & Meddows-Taylor, S. Traditional uses, pharmacological activities, and phytochemical analysis of Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex. A. DC (Ebenaceae): A Review. Molecules 2023, 28(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237759 

Rauf A, Zuneera Akram Z, Hafeez N et al. Anticancer therapeutic potential of genus Diospyros: From phytochemistry to clinical applications—A review. Food Science and Nurition, first published 13 August 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4375

Sulastri D, Hartati, Khairina Y, et al.  A Review of Diospyros species: Antibacterial and antifungal compounds, microbiome interactions, and pathogen dynamics. IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 2025, 1445 012090 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/1445/1/012090/pdf