Diospyros venosa grows as a tree, sometimes a shrub, from 5–20 metres (20–70 ft) tall.

[5] Within the genus Diospyros, there is the geographically heterogenous clade XI, with sister species from India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and New Caledonia.

D. venosa is a member along with D. ebenum, D. ehretioides, D. fasciculosa, D. maritima, D. pubicalyx, D. styraciformis, and D.

venosa is native to the Maluku Islands, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.

[8] In the Khmer language, angɔt kmao[10] and ângkât' khmau slëk thôm[3] refer to the plant.

[3] Villagers living on the plateau of Phnom Kulen National Park, in Svay Leu District, Siem Reap Province, northwestern Cambodia, use the root and wood chips of the shrub in their traditional medicinal practices to improve post-partum care and circulation, to treat malaria, and to treat sexually transmitted diseases in women.