Jujube

The branches are often used for fencing the fields, the leaves are threshed out and used as fodder. Fruit edible. Leaves also applied in scabies and boils.

A bushy much branched shrub, branches divaricating, flexuous, tomentose, young branches puberulous, grey, spines in unequal pairs, bigger straight c. 1 cm long, smaller recurved, whitish tomentose when young. Leaves 1-2 cm x 0.5-2 cm, orbicular or ovate-orbicular to elliptic, dark green and densely pubescent above, densely velvety tomentose beneath, entire or serrate, apex obtuse apiculate or mucronate, base round to sub cordate, lateral nerves prominent, pedicel 2-3 mm long. Flowers 3-4 mm in diameter. Calyx pubescent, lobes c. 1.5 mm, ovate lanceolate. Petals cuneate longer than stamens c. 1.25 mm long, stamen included c. 1 mm long. Disc. 10-lobed, pitted. Styles 2, united to above the middle. Drupe globose, 5-10 mm long, reddish brown-black when ripe, 2 celled, 2 seeded.

Distribution: Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Fl. Per.: March-June.