Sexy persimmon


A few years ago Jane Edmudson on the ABC’s Gardening Australia described some persimmons as suitable for eating like an apple. Others, she said, are almost inedible due to their astringency. There are some 1000 cultivars so you have plenty to choose from.

As you’d expect if you read my recent post about how the Globe Artichoke can change our sensation of sweetness, it’s the phenolics in persimmons that pucker your mouth. In this case, mostly tannins.

Apart from causing mouth puckering, the tannins in the fruit of Diospyros kaki, the persimmon, can be used for waterproofing, food preservation and dyeing. The fruit and leaves also have some potential medicinal uses, currently under investigation: I gather you might already find persimmon extract in 'athlete's foot socks and soap'.

As I discovered in my local park, where a single persimmon tree has been placed among a collection of other edible-fruit trees, the flowers are either male or female. Although on the same plant in this specimen, they can sometimes male on one plant and female on another.


The females (above) have the green, leathery, almost-Elizabethan collar that ends up ornamenting the fruit (see top of post). The male flowers (below) are pretty insignificant in comparison, and look like they might just be spent blooms.


Varieties that produce fruit without seed don’t need to be pollinated, but fully loaded fruits need male flowers in the vicinity. In US orchards farmers grow trees in a ratio of eight female to one male, although I did read that trees can change their sexual orientation from year to year, which if true would make this tricky!

So I tracked down some authoritative advice from the University of California in Davis (USA) on, as they put it, 'what makes a persimmon a boy or a girl'...

One in 20 plant species have flowers on a single sex. It's a great way to mix up genes during pollination, making sure flowers don't pollinate themselves or, if the flowers are on separate plants, don't pollinate with flowers on the same plant. There are other ways to stop this happening, but dioecy, as it's called when single-sexed flowers are on separate plants, is a good way.

The scientists at University of California say persimon plants are either male or female, which makes my parkland plant a little odd. My plant would be described as monoecious meaning that while it has single-sex flowers (either male or female) these are born on the same plant. A dioecious plants has only male, or only female, flowers.

This I remember from Botany 101, or whatever we called it, although the terminology gets a little confusing when transferred to algae, where I drifted later in my studies...


So this, my parkland plant, is monoecious and my American university colleagues say persimons are dioecious? I needed to read more closely... These guys were working on a different species of persimmon, Diospyros lotus, sometimes called the Date Persimmon or Lilac Persimmon. It has smaller fruits and, it seems, a slightly different sex life.

The researchers were looking for the gene that coded for maleness or femaleness. That is, what makes it a boy or a girl persimmon? They found a gene system they call OGI-MeGI: ogi is Japanese for male tree, megi for a female tree. Their next task is to see if this kind of system is universal in all plants, and to see if they can introduce dioecy into the 95% of plants that don't have unisexual flowers on separate plants to help with breeding and plant health.

Meanwhile, back in the park, I'm going to have to track this plant to see if it keeps producing flowers of both sex (monoecious) or switches to only one sex (dioecious). I'll get back to you in a few years, perhaps.

Images: The flowers and young tree are from the park near where I live, photographed in December 2014, and the fruit from a Grow Organic website.

Comments

Karan Sharma said…
I am really impressed this article writer such a great writer nice post...
Delhi Male Escorts
Noida Male Escorts
Gurgaon Male Escorts
KAJOL ROY said…
At Bangalore Escorts, we agree with to deliver the nice erotic services to our clients. We also offer a prompt escort carrier and will continually do our great to make certain you're absolutely glad and that your date meets your expectations for a lady buddy experience in every way.
Bangalore Escorts , it stands confident Contact me 08123770473, 8147349718 Visit ---- http://www.bangalorehotescorts.in/index.htm
KAJOL ROY said…
real is top choice to rent because handiest actual call girls can love you as your GF & make you satisfied. So if you want proper fun with hottest Escorts in Bangalore, then just connect to our Society.
Contact me 08123770473, 8147349718 gipi.org.in
Very Nice Information,
Thanks for Sharing.

Welcome to Bangalore Finest Éscórtš Agency, If you are looking for a high class Éscórtš in Bangalore,
Call @ +91-9205915046 to meet our finest Éscórtš in Bangalore,
Our Bangalore Éscórtš will fulfill Your desires whatever they maybe.
Bangalore Escort.
Welcome to Bangalore Finest Éscórtš Agency, If you are looking for a high class Escort in Bangalore,
Call @ +91-9205915046 to meet our finest Escort in Bangalore,
jp nagar call girls.
Independent Escort in Bangalore.
Bangalore Escort.
Unknown said…
Girls in South Delhi are well-renowned across India for their open mind and also stylish personality. Friendly, well-read and also fashionable, the South Delhi ladies are the ideal business for your leisure time, at your certain event Delhi Escort
Devayani Ahuja said…
This is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post.
Gurgaon Escorts Services
Escorts in Gurgaon
Call Girls in Mahipalpur
Alka Talwar said…
It’s a tremendous post. I am truly grateful for this blog and I was in fact looking for something impressive like this.
Femael Escorts in Aerocity
Independent Call Girls Services in Gurgaon
Beautiful Escorts in Gurgaon
Female Escorts in Gurgaon
Affoedable Female Escorts in Aerocity
Reshab Khan said…
hello reshab here please follow our link for all vip escort in bangalore complete details
Reshab Khan said…
hello reshab here please follow our link for all vip escort in bangalore complete details
Unknown said…
HI Guys, This is Syed moula. I'm one of the best blackmagic solution provider in Bangalore, If you are looking for solutions to your problems in Bangalore then you have landed in correct place. If you have cheated with other blackmic solutions agency then all you need to do one thing, Just have service with us once and trust me you will get some amazing service with real solutions. NO CHEAT NO FRAUDS. You are just 1 call away from some amazing life time experience.

black magic solution in bangalore
demons effect solution in banlaore
Love problem solution in bangalore
vashikaran in bangalore