Caquis, Diospyros Kaki Stock Photography

The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae, and other members of the genus are grown for ebony timber. The most widely cultivated species is the Oriental or Japanese persimmon, Diospyros kaki. In color, the ripe fruit of the cultivated strains range from light yellow-orange to dark red-orange depending on the species and variety. They similarly vary in size from 1.5 to 9 cm 0.59 to 3.54 in in diameter, and in shape the varieties may be spherical, acorn-, or pumpkin-shaped. The ripe fruit has a high glucose content. Persimmon fruits have been put to various medicinal and chemical uses.