Diospyros lateralis is a tree in the family Ebenaceae. It grows up to tall. Inflorescences bear up to three flowers. The fruits are round to , up to in diameter. The specific epithet ' is from the Latin meaning 'lateral', referring to the position of the inflorescences on the stem. Habitat is lowland mixed dipterocarp forests. D. lateralis is found in Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo.