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Ziziphus

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Ziziphus
Ziziphus jujuba, by Adolphus Ypey
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Tribe: Paliureae
Genus: Ziziphus
Mill. (1754)
Type species
Ziziphus jujuba
Mill. (1768), nom. cons.[2]
Species[1]

68; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Chloroxylum P.Browne (1756)
  • Jububa Bubani (1897)
  • Mansana J.F.Gmel. (1791)
  • Zizyphon St.-Lag. (1880), orth. var.

Ziziphus /ˈzɪzɪfəs/[3] 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.[1] 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 (jujube), Ziziphus spina-christi from southwestern Asia, Ziziphus lotus from the Mediterranean region, and ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), which is found from western Africa to India.

Etymology

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The generic 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.[4]

Ecology

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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

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The temperate Ziziphus jujuba (Chinese jujube) and the tropical Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian Jujube) are economically important fruit trees.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), suan zao ren (Ziziphus jujuba) 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 (TCM medical terms).[5] It is used to treat irritability, insomnia and heart palpitations.

Mythology

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The mythological lotus tree which occurs in Homer's Odyssey is often equated with Z. lotus.[6]

The Islamic mythological lote tree of Seventh Heaven, the Sidrat al-Muntaha is often equated with either Ziziphus spina-christi.[7]

Species

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68 species are accepted.[1]

Ziziphus Blossom in Behbahan, Iran
Ziziphus Blossom in Behbahan, Iran

Other list sources:[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Formerly placed here

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Fossil species

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† = Extinct
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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Ziziphus Mill". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Ziziphus Mill". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Database. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  3. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  4. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. Vol. 4 R-Z. Taylor & Francis US. p. 2876. ISBN 978-0-8493-2678-3.
  5. ^ "Suan Zao Ren - Sour Jujube Seed TCM Materia Medica". Yin Yang House. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  6. ^ "Ziziphus jujuba, jujube | Trees of Stanford & Environs". trees.stanford.edu. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Sidrah (Lote-Tree) and the Sidrat al-Muntaha (Lote-Tree of the Extremity) | Some Apects of their Islamic and Bābī-Bahā'ī intepretations". faculty.ucmerced.edu.
  8. ^ "Query Results for Genus Ziziphus". IPNI. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  9. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Ziziphus". GRIN. USDA. Archived from the original on 2000-10-31. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
  10. ^ "Classificação segundo a Flora brasiliensis". florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  11. ^ "Ziziphus species list". Flora of China. EFloras. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
  12. ^ The Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2008). "Genus Ziziphus". Beijing, China: Catalogue of Life China: 2008 Annual Checklist China. Retrieved September 9, 2009. [dead link]
  13. ^ "Flora Europaea: Ziziphus query results". Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
  14. ^ "Ziziphus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  15. ^ Geological Survey professional paper, Issue 165: Shorter Contributions to General Geology. US Govt. Printing Office. 1930. p. 73. Retrieved May 28, 2011.