Diospyros cathayensis ("Tamafurinoki")

Japanese name: タマフリノキ （魂振木）
Scientific name: Diospyros cathayensis

[Overview]
An evergreen or semi-evergreen small tree reaching 10 m in height and 80 cm in diameter, found in its native range in valleys and mountain forests at elevations of 600–1500 m.
The branches are covered with inconspicuous spines and have hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong, 4–11 cm long and 1.5–3.6 cm wide, and thinly leathery.
The upper surface of the leaf is glossy.
It is dioecious.
Male flowers are usually borne in cymes, and very rarely solitary.
Male flowers are 5–7 mm long and pale yellow; the corolla is urn-shaped with a 4-lobed, recurved tip, and there are 16 stamens and 1 degenerated ovary.
Female flowers are solitary, 5 mm long and white; the corolla is urn-shaped with a 4-lobed, recurved tip, and there are 6 degenerated stamens.
The female flowers are fragrant.
The fruit is spherical to ovate, 1.5–3 cm in diameter, ripening yellow to yellow-orange, with sparse hairs on the surface.
The fruit stalk is long, and the fruit hangs downward.
The calyx is greatly enlarged.
The flesh is sweet without astringency and edible.
The seeds are oblong, 1.6–2 cm long and 7–8 mm wide, and there are 4.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by grafting.
Sow seeds immediately after harvesting.
If the site is sunny, it is not particular about soil.
For potted plants, from spring to autumn water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil once a month.
To obtain fruit, prepare both male and female plants and pollinate by hand.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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