The Ebenaceae, commonly called the ebony family, contains only two genera, Euclea and Diospyros, both of which are large and together include about 500 species. The family is placed according to the APG II system into order Ericales with the families Ericaceae, Myrsinaceae, Fouquieriaceae,  Polemoniaceae, Primulaceae and about 20 others. It is distributed in the lowland tropics and subtropics, with a few warm-temperate deciduous species, and is comprised mainly of trees and shrubs. The leaves  are  typically alternate, simple and  entire, and  the inflorescences are short and determinate in the leaf axils. Family members generally produce dioecious plants with tubular corollas that have lobes equal to the number of sepals. A persistent, often enlarged calyx on the fruit is a characteristic of this family. The hardwood ebony and the edible persimmon are the two most significant economic products.