Диоспирос: род растений (Diospyros)

Genus of trees and shrubs
Automatic taxobox
| oldest fossil = Eocene
| image = Diospyros kaki3. jpg
| image caption = Flowers of Diospyros kaki
| taxon = Diospyros
| authority = L.
| synonyms = * Cargillia R. Br. Cavanillea Desr. Ebenus Kuntze (nom. illeg.) Embryopteris Gaertn. Guaiacana Duhamel (nom. illeg.) Idesia Scop. Maba J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. Mabola Raf. Macreightia A. DC. Noltia Thonn. Paralea Aubl. Pimia Seem. Rhaphidanthe Hiern ex Gürke
Ropourea Aubl. Royena L.
Tetraclis Hiern
| synonyms ref =

The generic name Diospyros comes from a Latin name for the Caucasian persimmon (D. lotus), derived from the Greek διόσπυρος : dióspyros, from diós ([[wikt:Διός#Ancient Greek) and pyrós ([[wikt:πυρός#Etymology 1). The Greek name literally means "Zeus's wheat" but more generally intends "divine food" or "divine fruit". The genus is a large one and the number of species has been estimated variously, depending on the date of the source. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, list has over 1000 entries, including synonyms and items of low confidence. Over 700 species are marked as being assigned with high confidence. The oldest fossils of the genus date to the Eocene, which indicate by that time Diospyros was widely distributed over the Northern Hemisphere.

The genus includes several plants of commercial importance, either for their edible fruit (persimmons) or for their timber (ebony). The latter are divided into two groups in trade: the pure black ebony (notably from D. ebenum, but also several other species), and the striped ebony or calamander wood (from D. celebica, D. mun and others). Most species in the genus produce little to none of this black ebony type wood; their hard timber (e. g. of American persimmon, D. virginiana) may still be used on a more limited basis. Leaves of the Coromandel ebony (D. melanoxylon) are used to roll South Asian beedi cigarettes. Several species are used in herbalism, and D. leucomelas yields the versatile medical compound betulinic acid. Extracts from Diospyros plants have also been proposed as novel anti viral treatment. Though bees do not play a key role as pollinators, in plantations Diospyros may be of some use as honey plants. D. mollis, locally known as mặc nưa, is used in Vietnam to dye the famous black lãnh Mỹ A silk of Tân Châu district. The reverence of these trees in their native range is reflected by their use as floral emblems. In Indonesia, D. celebica (Makassar ebony, known locally as eboni) is the provincial tree of Central Sulawesi, while ajan kelicung (D. macrophylla) is that of West Nusa Tenggara. The emblem of the Japanese island of Ishigaki is the Yaeyama kokutan (D. ferrea). The Gold apple (D. decandra), called "Trái thị" in Vietnamese, is a tree in the Tấm Cám fable. It is also the provincial tree of Chanthaburi as well as Nakhon Pathom Provinces in Thailand, while the black and white ebony (D. malabarica) is that of Ang Thong Province. The name of the Thai district Amphoe Tha Tako, literally means "District of the Diospyros pier", the latter being a popular local gathering spot.