JACKALBERRY EBONY - (Diospyros mespiliformis)   also known as Jackberry, African Ebony and  Jakkalsbessie. The Jackalberry tree is found throughout Africa, from Senegal and the Sudan to Namibia and the northern Transvaal. They can grow up to 80 feet tall, with a trunk 5 feet in diameter. The average tree only reaches heights of 15 to 18 feet. The trunks grow straight and high, with the first spreading branches growing far above the ground. The mature trunks from older and heavier trees have fluted, flattened ridges along the trunk which help strengthen them.
The heartwood is fine-grained and good for floors and furniture. The trunks are used to make canoes. Tannin is contained in the leaves, bark and roots, and acts as an astringent that helps stop bleeding. The tree is also supposed to have antibiotic substances that help heal wounds.