Ziziphus/ˈzɪzɪfəs/[3] is a genus of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It incudes 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.
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]
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.
Usesedit
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). It is used to treat irritability, insomnia and heart palpitations.
^"Query Results for Genus Ziziphus". IPNI. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
^"GRIN Species Records of Ziziphus". GRIN. USDA. Archived from the original on 2000-10-31. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
^"Classificação segundo a Flora brasiliensis" (in Portuguese). Flora brasiliensis. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
^"Ziziphus species list". Flora of China. EFloras. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
^The Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (eds.) (2008). "Genus Ziziphus". Beijing, China: Catalogue of Life China: 2008 Annual Checklist China. Retrieved September 9, 2009. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)[dead link]
^Geological Survey professional paper, Issue 165: Shorter Contributions to General Geology. US Govt. Printing Office. 1930. p. 73. Retrieved May 28, 2011.