''Ziziphus nummularia'', commonly known as wild jujube or jharberi in Hindi, is a species of ''

Ziziphus ''Ziziphus'' is a genus of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It includes 68 species native to tropical and subtropical Africa, Eurasia, and Australia and tropical South America. The leaves are alternate, entire, ...

'' native to the

Thar Desert The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-large ...

of western

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and southeastern

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, south

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

and

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

. ''Ziziphus nummularia'' is a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

up to or higher, branching to form a thicket. The leaves are rounded like those of ''

Ziziphus jujuba Jujube (UK ; US or ), sometimes jujuba, scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'', and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus '' Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused wit ...

'' but differ from those in having a pubescence on the adaxial surface. The plant is commonly found in arid areas, hills, plains, and agricultural fields.

Description

''Ziziphus nummularia'' is a much-branched, widely-spreading, thorny bush or shrub up to tall. The branches and twigs have a velvety texture and a pale purplish colour. The lateral roots are long and spread deeply into the

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (aquatic environment), the earthy material that exi ...

. The alternately arranged leaves are simple and ovate, long, with serrate margins; the upper surface of the blade is dark green and glossy, and the under surface is white and downy. The stipules are often replaced by a pair of brown spines, one short, down-curving hook, the other long, robust, and straight. The inflorescence is a cyme, the individual pale yellow flowers being bisexual with parts in fives, and often having no petals. They are followed by small red or blackish drupes not exceeding in diameter, containing a hard stone, inside which there are usually two seeds.

Distribution and habitat

''Ziziphus nummularia'' is native to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon and Zimbabwe. It is tolerant of a range of habitats including hillsides, plains, ravines, cultivated areas and sand dunes. On the sandy hills of southern

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

, it is associated with ''

Euphorbia caducifolia ''Euphorbia caducifolia'' is a subtropical succulent plant, succulent species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is found in the arid regions of northwestern Indian subcontinent. In India it is known as the leafless milk he ...

'', ''

Butea monosperma ''Butea monosperma'' is a species of '' Butea'' native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is also known as flame of the forest, Bengal kino, dhak, palash, and bastard teak. Revered as sacred by Hindus, it is ...

'', ''

Millettia pinnata ''Pongamia pinnata'' is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. It is the sole species in genus ''Pongamia''. It is often known by the synonym ''Millettia pinnata''. ...

'', '' Syzygium hyrianium'' and ''

Wrightia tinctoria ''Wrightia tinctoria'', Pala indigo plant or dyer's oleander, is a flowering plant species in the genus '' Wrightia'' found in India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is found in dry and moist regions in its distribution. Various parts of the pla ...

''.

Uses

''Ziziphus nummularia'' has been used for erosion control, reducing wind damage, and allowing deposited material to stabilise, forming a

microhabitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

that enables other plants such as

grasses Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in ...

to grow. The shrub sends up many suckers from the root system and can be planted to form a windbreak, sometimes in association with ''

Crotalaria burhia ''Crotalaria burhia'' (Hindi: ) is a plant found in north-west India, mainly in the Thar desert The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that cover ...

''. The timber is used in building construction and to make farm implements, and it also makes good fuel and

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

. The leaves can provide forage for livestock; in India they are picked, dried, and stored, producing about dried foliage per hectare. The fruits are edible, sweet, and acidic. They can be eaten raw, pickled, dried, or used to make confectionery. Rats and

gerbil The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird (''Meriones unguiculatus'') is a rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Their body size is typically , with a tail, and body weight , with adult males larger than females. The animal is used in s ...

s are also attracted to the fruit, which can therefore be used in poison baits to attract the rodents.

References

Medias

File:Ziziphus nummularia1.jpg File:Ziziphus nummularia2.jpg File:Ziziphus nummularia3.jpg File:Ziziphus nummularia4.jpg File:Ziziphus nummularia6.jpg File:برگ ربنیک، بهبهان.jpg, alt=Ziziphus Nummularia Leaf in Behbahan, Iran, Ziziphus Nummularia Leaf in

Behbahan Behbahan () is a city in the Central District of Behbahan County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Etymology The origin of word 'Behbahan' can be traced back to two distinct ideas. Accord ...

, Iran File:برگ درختچه ربنیک، بهبهان.jpg, alt=Ziziphus Nummularia Leaf, Behbahan, Iran, Ziziphus Nummularia Leaf,

File:ربنیک نیم‌خورده و خشکیده، بهبهان.jpg, alt=Half-Eaten Dried Ziziphus Nummularia Fruit, Behbahan, Half-Eaten Dried Ziziphus Nummularia Fruit,

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5236643 nummularia Flora of India (region) Flora of Iran Flora of Pakistan Flora of Qatar Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman Taxa named by Robert Wight