Christ's Thorn

Shrubs or rarely small trees, deciduous, to 5 m tall. Young branches ± densely brownish pubescent, mature branches soon glabrescent. Stipular spines 2 per node; longer one erect, to 2 cm; shorter one hooklike, recurved; petiole 3-13 mm, pubescent; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, symmetric to ± asymmetric, 2-4 × 1.5-3.5 cm, papery, 3- to pinnately veined, with 3-6 pairs of secondary veins, base obtuse to cordate, margin inconspicuously serrate, apex obtuse. Flowers 3-6 mm in diam., glabrous, in axillary cymes. Pedicel 4-8 mm, pubescent. Calyx tube disk-shaped; lobes deltoid, adaxially slightly keeled. Petals cucullate, ± distinctly recurved during anthesis. Stamens slightly shorter than petals. Disk thin, nectariferous. Ovary 2- or 3-loculed; style 2- or 3-fid. Drupe disk-shaped, 1.5-3.5 cm in diam., glabrous, base conical, often with persistent sepals, apex rounded; wing broad and thin, 5-12 mm, papery, margin entire, ± undulate; mesocarp thin; endocarp obovoid. Seeds obovoid; testa brownish, shiny. 2n = 24.

S. Europe, C. Asia, rarely cultivated in India.

Cultivated in Shandong (Qingdao) [native to SW Asia and S Europe].

Rhamnus paliurus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 194. 1753; Paliurus australis Gaertner, nom. illeg. superfl.