Ziziphus Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. [s.p.]. 1754; Benth. & Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 1: 373. 1862; Lawson in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 632. 1875; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. and Sind, 1: 293. 1894; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb. 1: 255. 1902; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 89. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 242. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. China @ eFloras.org 12: 119; Qaiser & Nazimuddin, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 9.

Shrubs or small to medium-sized trees, erect or straggling, evergreen or deciduous, usually armed with pairs of stipular spines, one usually short, recurved and other long and straight. Leaves alternate, usually distichous to subdistichous, with 3(-5) basal nerves, usually leathery and oblique at base, margin entire, serrate to serrulate. Flowers small, greenish-yellow, actinomorphic, mostly bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, usually in axillary cymes or terminal or axillary thyrses. Calyx 5-fid, saucer-shaped, tube shallow; lobes ovate-triangular or triangular, adaxially +/- distinctly keeled. Petals 5, inserted at margin of disk, clawed, obovate or spatulate, cucullate, usually deflexed, rarely wanting. Stamens 5, enclosed by petals, +/- longer than petals; anthers bithecous, dehiscence by longitudinal slits. Disk lining the calyx tube, edges free, 5-10-lobed, flat or pitted. Ovary sessile, superior, immersed and confluent with disk, 2 (-4)-locular, 1-2 ovules per loculus; style +/- deeply branched, 2-4-fid; stigma papillose, small. Fruit a drupe, stone 1-4-celled, rugose or tuberculate, 1 seed in each cell.

69 species

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., Encycl. 3: 319. 1789; Santapau, Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. 51: 802. 1953; Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi. f. 44. 1966; Bhandara & Bhansali in Singh et al., Fl. India 5: 233. 2000; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 227. 2006; Qaiser & Nazimuddin, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 10; Z. jujuba Lam., Encycl. 3: 318. 1789. Parker, For. Fl. Punj., ed. 1: 84. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 632. 1875; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 90. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Z. jujuba (L.) Gaertn., Fruct. 1: 203. 1788; Rhamnus jujuba L., Sp. Pl. 194. 1753.

Usually small to medium-sized trees or large shrubs, almost evergreen, branches spreading and drooping, twigs usually tomentose when young. Stipular spines in pairs, usually one straight and long, up to 15 mm, the other curved and small, 5-7 mm, sometimes more reduced or absent. Leaves alternate, +/- distichous; petiole (3-) 5-15 (-20) mm, tomentose, with adaxial groove; leaf lamina 2.5-6.5(-9) cm x 2-4.5(- 5.5) cm, suborbicular to ovate-oblong, +/- rounded at both ends, slightly unequal at base, margin entire or serrulate, glabrous and shining above, usually densely clothed beneath with white or buff tomentum; strongly 3- nerved from base, nerves prominent. Flowers crowded (up to 20) in small, sessile or shortly peduncled axillary cymes; actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, small, 5-7 mm across, greenish-white, pedicellate, pedicels up to 4-7(-10) mm long, tomentose. Calyx 5-fid, saucer-shaped, pale green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; calyx tube shallow, 3 mm diameter, lobes ca. 2 mm x 2 mm, ovate-triangular, acute, keeled within. Petals 5, white, ca. 1.5 mm long, alternating with calyx lobes, inserted on margin of disk, clawed, limb cucullate, obovate, margin folded inwards, deflexed with stamens. Stamens 5, inserted opposite and enclosed by petals, +/- equal to petals; anthers ovoid, 0.3-0.35 mm long; filaments ca. 1.2 mm long. Disk lining the calyx tube, edges free, 10 grooved/lobed. Ovary sessile, superior, immersed and confluent with disk, 2-locular, each loculus with one ovule; styles 2, connate to the middle; stigma papillose, small. Fruit drupaceous, 1.5-3.5 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm, globose to ovoid, bilocular, pyrene tubercles and irregularly furrowed.

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