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Ziziphus mauritiana
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park
Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park
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| Synonyms: |
Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Lam. |
| Common names: | Jujube (English) N'sao (Sena) |
| Frequency: | Very common |
| Status: | Introduced and often naturalised |
| Description: |
Shrub or small to medium-sized tree, armed with distinct opposite pairs of hooked and near-straight spines. Leaves elliptic to broadly elliptic, hairless above, densely whitish tomentose below; base symmetrical or nearly so; 3-veined from the base; margin crenate-serrate. Flowers in axillary clusters, small, yellowish. Fruit a spherical drupe c. 2 cm. |
| Notes: | The fruits are edible and used to make a potent distilled spirit. The (near) symmetrical leaves and the dense greyish-white hairs on the undersides of the leaves, distinguish this species from the indigenous Z. mucronata and Z. abyssinica. |
| Derivation of specific name: | mauritiana: from Mauritius |
| Habitat: | Widely cultivated for its edible fruits and foundurs as a naturalized species in open woodland, along roadsides and in disturbed areas. |
| Altitude range: | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Native to India, Mauritius and northern tropical Africa. |
| Mozambique distribution: | N,Z,T,MS,GI |
| Growth form(s): | Tree. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Tarucus sybaris sybaris (Food plant) Epiphora mythimnia (Larval foodplant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 551. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1966). Rhamnaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2) Pages 420 - 421. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 257. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 70. Maroyi, A. (2006). Preliminary checklist of introduced and naturalized plants in Zimbabwe. Kirkia 18(2) Page 237. |
Other sources of information about Ziziphus mauritiana:
Our websites:
Flora of Malawi: Ziziphus mauritianaFlora of Zambia: Ziziphus mauritiana
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ziziphus mauritiana
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ziziphus mauritiana
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ziziphus mauritianaAfrican Plant Database: Ziziphus mauritiana
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ziziphus mauritiana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ziziphus mauritiana
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ziziphus mauritiana
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ziziphus mauritiana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ziziphus mauritiana
JSTOR Plant Science: Ziziphus mauritiana
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ziziphus mauritiana
Plants of the World Online: Ziziphus mauritiana
Tropicos: Ziziphus mauritiana
Wikipedia: Ziziphus mauritiana
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