Species of handsome, broad-topped, slow-growing (to 80 feet (25 m) in height) tree native to eastern Mexico, Central America, and south to Colombia. It produces edible tomato-like fruit. It is used medicinally: the crushed bark and leaves are applied as a blistering poultice; the leaf decoction is employed as an astringent and is taken internally as a febrifuge; various preparations are used against leprosy, ringworm and itching skin conditions. Unripe black persimmon fruits are very astringent, irritant, caustic and bitter, and have been used as fish poison. It is unrelated to other plants called "sapote," the mamey sapote (Sapotaceae), and the white sapote (Rutaceae).
