Chandigarh Forests

Department of Forest & Wildlife
UT Administration
Chandigarh

ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA Lam.

Division

Angiosperms

Class

Dicotledons

Subclass

Polypetalae

Series

Disciflorae

Order

Celastrales

Family

Rhamnaceae

Genus

 Ziziphus (Zizyphus)

Species

 mauritiana

Etymology:

 

Derived from Greek word Ziziphus, name of the Mediterranean jujube which is derived from Arabic zizout, name of the lotus.

Botanical name:

 

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Zizyphus jujuba Lam.)

Local/Trade Names:

Indian Jujube, Common Jujube, Ber

Conservation status:

 

Commonly found wild.

Digonestic features:

 

A prickly tree.

Description:

A moderate sized tree. Bark dark grey or nearly black, young parts rusty tomentose. Leaves very variable, 2.5-10 cm long, sub-orbicular, elliptic or ovate, serrulate or entire, densely woolly-tomentose beneath. Flowers greenish-yellow. Fruit a drupes, 2-celled, 1.5 cm long, globose to ellipsoid or obovoid-acuminate, red or orange when ripe.

Phenology:

Fls.: Sept.-Nov. Frts.: Dec.-Feb.

Distribution:

 

Throughout the India.

Where to see it:

Medicinal Plant Garden, Nutritive Garden and Gate No. 2 side.

Uses:

Fruits eaten fresh, dried like raisins, candied, stewed or smoked. Tree also yields fodder and is grown for wind-breaks. Large-sized fruits, which have just began to turn yellow are chosen for candying. Fruits of wild trees considered cooling, anodyne, and tonic. They enter into the preparation of Joshanda, a medicine used in chest troubles. Kernels sedative, used as a soporific and to stop vomiting; also employed as an antidote to aconite-poisoning and for abdominal pain in pregnancy. Seeds are given in diarrhoea. Badari is mentioned in old literature in the list of contracptives. Seeds yield a fatty oil. Leaves eaten with catechu as an astringent; considered diaphoretic. Wood used for wells, axe-and hoe-handles, gun-stocks, sandals, yokes, toys, parts of wheels, and turnery.

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