Diospyros maritima
EBENACEAE. Indigenous
SIZE: Up to 20m tall; trunk size 50cm diameter
TYPE: Evergreen
HABITAT: Thickets and forests along the coast and inland
The malatinta may have earned its name from the bluish or reddish grey ink-like texture of its freshly squeezed juice. The fruit is edible and is also known as “sea persimmon” (hence the species name maritama). The non-native persimmon fruit belongs to the Diospyros (“seeds of the gods”) family.