Ebony family (Ebenaceae) Description: This medium-sized tree is
typically 30-70' tall, consisting of an erect trunk about 1-2'
across and an ovoid crown. On mature trees, the trunk bark is
blackish gray and deeply furrowed into small flat-topped scales
that are shaped like irregular squares or rectangles. The bark
of branches is gray or brown and more smooth. Young leafy shoots
are usually pubescent, rarely glabrous. The alternate leaves are
2½-6" long and 1-2" across; they are elliptic-oblong to ovate in
shape and smooth along their margins. The upper surface of the
leaf blades is medium to dark green and glabrous, while the
lower surface is pale green and short-pubescent to nearly
glabrous. The slender petioles are about ¼1" long, light green,
and short-pubescent to nearly glabrous. Leaf venation is
pinnate. American Persimmon is dioecious, producing trees with
either all male (staminate) flowers or all female (pistillate)
flowers. Male flowers are arranged in small clusters of 2-3 on
short branching stalks