Diospyros kaki (Japanese persimmon)

Japanese name: カキ （柿）
Scientific name: Diospyros kaki

[Overview]
A deciduous tree cultivated as a fruit tree. The branches break easily.
The leaves are alternate, broadly elliptic to ovate-oblong, 7–17 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with entire margins.
The flowers bloom in May–June in the leaf axils of the current year's shoots and are pale yellow. There are male and female flowers. The male flowers are borne several together and are bell-shaped, about 8 mm long and 5 mm across. The female flowers are borne singly and are broadly bell-shaped, with a conspicuous 4-lobed calyx (the part that becomes the calyx cap of the fruit).
There are many cultivars, differing in various ways, such as sweet or astringent types and fruit shape.
Even Ama-gaki are astringent while unripe; some strains become sweet when seeds form, and others become sweet even without seeds. The former are called incomplete Ama-gaki and the latter complete Ama-gaki. The famous 'Fuyu' (Fuyu-gaki) is a complete Ama-gaki, 'Zenjimaru' is an incomplete Ama-gaki, and 'Ichida-gaki', famous for hoshigaki (dried persimmons), is a Shibu-gaki.
Astringency is caused by tannin cells in the flesh. When the fruit is eaten, the tannin released from the broken cells binds to proteins on the tongue; when the tannin coagulates, the fruit becomes sweet. The blackish-brown spots seen in the flesh, called "goma" (sesame), are the traces of this.

[History]
It is presumed to be of Chinese origin and is said to have come to Japan in the Nara period together with Ume, Momo, Anzu and others. There are no Ama-gaki in China; they are said to have originated in Japan in the Kamakura period.

[Cultivation]
If not planted in fertile, well-drained soil, fruit set will be poor. Because it roots poorly, transplanting is extremely difficult except when the tree is young.
In general, Ama-gaki suit warm regions, while Shibu-gaki also grow in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions.

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