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Diospyros malabarica

(Bengali, Hindi & English names are same)

A mid-sized spreading evergreen tree with gnarled darkish bole and low, dense, dark green crown that becomes very conspicuous in Mar-Apr when startingly red leaves emerge.

Bark: very dark becoming rougher, cracked with age

Leaf:  Dark green, elongated, shiny, firm, up to 8’’ long. New leaves strikingly red

Flowers: Ivory white, male and female flowers in separate trees. Make flowers smaller, (1/3’’) in clusters of 3-6. Female larger (1’’) solitary or in pairs

Fruit: Looks somewhat like chikoo/sabeda. Covered with a rusty powdery substance when young, ripening yellowish.

Season: New leaves in Mar, then flowers appear (Apr) fruits mature at the end of the monsoon (Aug)

Range/habitat: Moister spots of Himalayan foothills and south India. In dry districts it usually grows

on the banks of streams and rivers. Outside India, distribution extends to Malay peninsula & northern Australia.

Where to Find: there are a few trees in the North-west section of Rabindra Sarovar, Kolkata, all within a strech of 100m or so, all on the lake side of the main tar road. First one (labelled), a female tree is some 200 m from the Amri Fire victim memorial towards C4 cricket ground (22.51169N,88.35825E). Second one, a male tree some 30 m away. There are couple more in the same direction