Country of origin: southwestern Europe to southern Asia
Description
It is a deciduous tree with height of approximately 8–10 m. The bark is grayish brown. The young shoots are green or reddish brown, hairless, and generally have thorns on the base. The leaves are reciprocal with short petiole and have three prominent veins and thin serrated edges. Mature leaves are smooth and hairless. Bisexual flower. In the Arid Land Research Center, it blooms in mid-July. The fruit is a drupe and becomes dark reddish brown or dark brown when ripened. Prefers sunny dry areas. It is strongly xerotolerant and tolerates alkaline soil. Propagation is performed by seeding, root division, root cutting, or grafting to a wild jujube tree.
The fruit contains sugar, vitamins A, B2, C, and P (rutin), saponin, flavonoids, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It is used for food or confectionery or in cooking when dried. The material is very hard and was used as material for axles, stamps, and furniture.
Uses: Fruit (food, medicine), leaf (beverages, medicine), trunk (lumber), honey
References
Chen, Y. and Schirarend, C. 2007. Rhamnaceae. Flora of China 12: 115-168.
(http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=10763)
Zhang, R., Chen, J., Shi, Q., Li, Z., Peng, Z., Zheng, L. and Wang, X. 2014. Phytochemical analysis of Chinese commercial Ziziphus jujube leaf tea using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray
ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Food Research International
56: 47-54.
アンドリュー・シェヴァリエ．2000．世界薬用植物百科事典．難波恒雄（監訳）．誠文堂新光社、東京．
片岡郁雄．1994．ナツメ属．塚本洋太郎（監修）．園芸植物大事典 2．pp.1667-1669．小学館、東京．
