Diospyros glabra coloured fruits

These Diospyros glabra fruits seen in February in Fernkloof range from green and yellow to brown red and eventually purplish black. By that time they’re fully ripe. The fruits are more ellipsoid than ovoid or spherical, covered in a whitish, dusty sheen that may be a faint hairiness.

The colours look inviting. Birds eat them and the omnivorous baboons will probably not leave them alone. People do eat these tasty and nutritional fruits as well, also making desserts, jams and jellies of them (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; https://greg.app/diospyros-glabra-overview; https://joysafaribay.com).