Ziziphus
Ziziphus is a genus of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It includes 68 species native to tropical and subtropical Africa, Eurasia, and Australia and tropical South America. The leaves are alternate, entire, with three prominent basal veins, and often aromatic. The flowers are small, inconspicuous yellow-green. The fruit is an edible drupe, often very sweet and sugary, reminiscent of a date in texture and flavour.
Well known species include the commonly cultivated Ziziphus jujuba, Ziziphus spina-christi from southwestern Asia, Ziziphus lotus from the Mediterranean region, and ber, which is found from western Africa to India.
Etymology
The genus name is derived via classical Latin from Hellenistic Greek, where it is presumed to have been borrowed from another language, perhaps from zizfum or zizafun, the Persian word for Z. lotus.Ecology
Ziziphus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix zizyphella, which feeds exclusively on the genus, and Endoclita malabaricus.Species are distributed throughout the world in tropical and warm temperate areas, from rain forests to deserts. Some species are evergreen, others are winter or drought deciduous.
Species adapted to dry climates are smaller and have oleifera cells that produce a fragrant aroma.
Uses
The temperate Ziziphus jujuba and the tropical Ziziphus mauritiana are economically important fruit trees.In traditional Chinese medicine, suan zao ren is considered to be sweet and sour in taste, and neutral in action. It is believed to nourish the heart yin, augment the liver blood, and calm the spirit. It is used to treat irritability, insomnia and heart palpitations.
Mythology
The mythological lotus tree which occurs in Homer's Odyssey is often equated with Z. lotus.The Islamic mythological lote tree of Seventh Heaven, the Sidrat al-Muntaha is often equated with either Ziziphus spina-christi.
Species
68 species are accepted.- Ziziphus abyssinica Hochst. ex A.Rich. – dry zones of tropical Africa
- Ziziphus affinis
- Ziziphus andamanica
- Ziziphus angustifolia
- Ziziphus apetala Hook.f. ex M.A.Lawson
- Ziziphus attopensis PierreZiziphus borneensis Ziziphus brunoniana Ziziphus budhensis Bhattarai & Pathak – Central NepalZiziphus calophylla Ziziphus cambodiana – Cambodia, Laos, VietnamZiziphus colombiana Ziziphus cotinifolia ReissekZiziphus crebrivenosa Ziziphus cumingiana Ziziphus djamuensis Ziziphus elegans Ziziphus fungii Merr.Ziziphus funiculosa Buch.-Ham. ex M.A.LawsonZiziphus glabrata Ziziphus globularis Ziziphus guaranitica MalmeZiziphus hajarensis Duling, Ghaz. & Prend.Ziziphus hamur Ziziphus havilandii Ziziphus hoaensis Ziziphus horrida RothZiziphus horsfieldii Ziziphus hutchinsonii – PhilippinesZiziphus incurva Roxb.Ziziphus javanensis BlumeZiziphus jujuba Mill. - JujubeZiziphus kunstleri Ziziphus laui Merr.Ziziphus leucodermis Ziziphus linnaei Ziziphus lotus Lam. – Mediterranean regionZiziphus mairei DodeZiziphus mauritiana Lam. – widespread through Old World tropics and subtropicsZiziphus melastomoides PittierZiziphus montana W.W.SmithZiziphus mucronata Willd. buffalo thorn – southern AfricaZiziphus nummularia Wight & Arn. – Thar Desert of India and PakistanZiziphus oenopolia Mill.Ziziphus otanesii Ziziphus oxyphylla Edgew.Ziziphus papuana Ziziphus pernettyoides Ziziphus poilanei TardieuZiziphus pubescens Ziziphus pubinervis RehderZiziphus quadrilocularis F.Muell. – northern AustraliaZiziphus ridleyana Ziziphus rivularis Ziziphus robertsoniana Ziziphus rubiginosa Ziziphus rugosa Ziziphus spina-christi Desf.Ziziphus subquinquenervia Ziziphus suluensis Ziziphus talanae Merr. – PhilippinesZiziphus timoriensis Ziziphus trinervis Poir.Ziziphus truncata Blatt. & Hallb.Ziziphus williamii Bhandari & BhansaliZiziphus xiangchengensis Y.L.Chen & P.K.ChouZiziphus xylopyrus Willd.Ziziphus zeyheriana
Formerly placed here
Condaliopsis obtusifolia – Lotebush Pseudoziziphus celata Pseudoziziphus parryi - Parry's Jujube- Sarcomphalus mistol Ziziphus lloydi A.Gray