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Ziziphus mauritiana
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Photo: Bart Wursten
College Rd, Alexandra Park, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
College Rd, Alexandra Park, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
College Rd, Alexandra Park, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
College Rd, Alexandra Park, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Near entrance to Chinhoyi Caves
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Lam. |
| Common names: | Jujube (English) Musawu (Shona) |
| 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. Around Harare, it is often found growing as a very low shrubby plant on roadside verges (see photo left). It is said never to bear fruit at these higher altitudes. |
| Derivation of specific name: | mauritiana: from Mauritius |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Native to India, Mauritius and northern tropical Africa. |
| Growth form(s): | Tree. |
| Insects associated with this species: | Tarucus sybaris sybaris (Food plant) Epiphora mythimnia (Larval foodplant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Image last updated: | Tuesday 6 February 2007 |
| 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 Mozambique: Ziziphus mauritiana
Flora of Zambia: Ziziphus mauritiana
Flora of Zimbabwe: 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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