Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.

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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)
Frequency:	Occasional
Status:	Introduced and found as an occasional, naturalised escape.
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. Note: 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
Habitat:	Widely cultivated for its edible fruits, it occurs as a naturalized species in open woodland, particularly in the Zambezi Valley.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1540 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Native to India, Mauritius and northern tropical Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,C
Growth form:	ST
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):	Tarucus sybaris sybaris (Dotted blue)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Tuesday 6 February 2007
Literature:

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Other sources of information about Ziziphus mauritiana:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ziziphus mauritiana page
Flora of Mozambique: Ziziphus mauritiana
African Plant Database: Ziziphus mauritiana
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Ziziphus mauritiana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ziziphus mauritiana
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Ziziphus mauritiana
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Ziziphus mauritiana
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Ziziphus mauritiana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ziziphus mauritiana
JSTOR Plant Science: Ziziphus mauritiana
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Ziziphus mauritiana
Tropicos: Ziziphus mauritiana
West African Plants database: Ziziphus mauritiana