Details Top

Internal ID UUID643ffbee7cf4a563727496
Scientific name Ziziphus lotus
Authority Lam.
First published in Encycl. 3: 317 (1789)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

Write a new one!
No ethnobotanical data added yet. Help us by writing one.

General Uses Top

Suggest a correction!

Common products:
- Fresh and dried fruit.
- Seed oil.
- Small‑diameter wood used for fuel and small craft items.

Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- Fresh fruit is eaten raw.
- Fruit is processed into jam, compote, syrup, and dried fruit used in confectionery.
- Fruit pulp is incorporated in some non‑alcoholic beverages (e.g., mixed fruit drinks).

Wood and fiber:
- Wood is commonly used as fuelwood in rural areas.
- Small‑diameter stems are turned into tool handles, walking sticks, and other small craft objects.

Properties relevant to use:
- Fruit is high in soluble solids, typically 18–22 °Brix, composed mainly of glucose and fructose.
- Seed oil has a fatty‑acid profile dominated by linoleic acid (≈55 % of total), with an iodine value around 115 g I₂/100 g and a saponification value of about 190 mg KOH/g.
- Wood density ranges from 0.55 to 0.65 g cm⁻³, providing moderate strength suitable for low‑load applications.

Standards and regulation:
- Fruit and derived products must comply with EU food‑safety legislation (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004) and food‑labeling rules (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011).
- Seed oil sold as food or cosmetic ingredient must meet Codex Alimentarius specifications (Codex Stan 210) and the EU cosmetic regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
- Wood harvested for fuel or craft is subject to national forest‑product regulations and must follow sustainable‑harvest guidelines.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Ziziphus lotus occurs in the Mediterranean basin; population assessments show a stable status, though local overharvesting of fruit and wood has been reported in some regions.
- Sustainable‑harvest recommendations limit annual extraction to ≤10 % of above‑ground biomass and promote community‑based management of wild stands.
- Cultivation trials in Morocco and Tunisia are establishing orchards to supply fruit, seed oil, and wood, reducing pressure on wild populations.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Ziziphus sylvestris Mill. Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 2 (1768)
Rhamnus lotus L. Sp. Pl. : 194 (1753)

Common names Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!

Language Common/alternative name
English lotus
Spanish guijol
Spanish loto comestible
Spanish guijón
Spanish guijolera
Spanish ginjolera
Spanish azufaifo loto
Spanish azufaifo de túnez
Spanish azufaifo de tunez
Spanish azufaifar
Spanish artinero
Spanish artinera
Spanish abenuz
Spanish guijon
Spanish artina
Spanish artino
Arabic زفيزف لوطسي
Arabic سدر بري
Catalan ginjoler
Catalan ginjoler murcià
Catalan z. lotus
Esperanto lotusozizifo
Persian کنار کازرونی
French jujubier sauvage
French jujubier lotus
Hebrew שיזף השיח
Hebrew סיזיפוס לוטוס
Polish głożyna afrykańska
Russian Африканская грудная ягода
Russian Лотосовое дерево
Russian Унаби африканская
Turkish gonnara
Ukrainian Зизифус лотус
Vietnamese táo berber
wo siddeem pom
Chinese 棗蓮
Chinese 落拓棗
Chinese 枣莲

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No variety added yet.

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subvariety added yet.

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No forms added yet.

Germination/Propagation Top

Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Egypt
      • Libya
      • Morocco
      • Tunisia
      • Western Sahara
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Burkina
      • Mali
      • Mauritania
      • Niger
  • Asia-temperate
    • Arabian Peninsula
      • Gulf States
    • Western Asia
      • Cyprus
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Palestine
      • Turkey
  • Europe
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Greece
      • Sicilia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Spain

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000430292
USDA Plants ZILO
Tropicos 50087361
INPN 130658
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:719341-1
The Plant List kew-2470687
Open Tree Of Life 33354
Observations.org 132549
NCBI Taxonomy 345809
IPNI 719341-1
iNaturalist 199911
GBIF 3039418
Freebase /m/0799z6
EPPO ZIPLO
EOL 483647
USDA GRIN 42284
Wikipedia Ziziphus_lotus
CMAUP NPO21480
Plantarium 50051

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_977901965.1 drZizLotu1.hap1.1 Chromosome WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE 2026-02-01 515 279.68 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Study of Physicochemical Quality and Organic Contamination in Algerian Honey Derrar S, Lo Turco V, Albergamo A, Sgrò B, Ayad MA, Litrenta F, Saim MS, Potortì AG, Aggad H, Rando R, Di Bella G Foods 04-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11083514
doi:10.3390/foods13091413
PMID:38731784
Moringa, Milk Thistle, and Jujube Seed Cold-Pressed Oils: Characteristic Profiles, Thermal Properties, and Oxidative Stability Sebii H, Karra S, Ghribi AM, Danthine S, Blecker C, Attia H, Besbes S Foods 02-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11083288
doi:10.3390/foods13091402
PMID:38731773
Isolation of quinic acid from dropped Citrus reticulata Blanco fruits: its derivatization, antibacterial potential, docking studies, and ADMET profiling Heena, Kaushal S, Kaur V, Panwar H, Sharma P, Jangra R Front Chem 18-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11064019
doi:10.3389/fchem.2024.1372560
PMID:38698937
Ethnobotanical survey on herbal remedies for the management of type 2 diabetes in the Casablanca-Settat region, Morocco Arraji M, Al Wachami N, Boumendil K, Chebabe M, Mochhoury L, Laamiri FZ, Barkaoui M, Chahboune M BMC Complement Med Ther 15-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11017650
doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04468-4
PMID:38622669
Lack of pollinators selects for increased selfing, restricted gene flow and resource allocation in the rare Mediterranean sage Salvia brachyodon Surina B, Balant M, Glasnović P, Gogala A, Fišer Ž, Satovic Z, Liber Z, Radosavljević I, Classen-Bockhoff R Sci Rep 29-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10904396
doi:10.1038/s41598-024-55344-7
PMID:38424151
Shrub Growth Improves Morphological Features of Nebkhas: A Case Study of Nitraria tangutorum in the Tengger Desert Cheng L, Wu B, Pang Y, Jia X Plants (Basel) 24-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10934661
doi:10.3390/plants13050624
PMID:38475471
The Contribution of Botanical Origin to the Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Algerian Honeys Harbane S, Escuredo O, Saker Y, Ghorab A, Nakib R, Rodríguez-Flores MS, Ouelhadj A, Seijo MC Foods 14-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10888090
doi:10.3390/foods13040573
PMID:38397550
Exploring the potential of Crotalaria juncea flower extracts as a source of antioxidants, antimicrobials, and cytoprotective agents for biomedical applications Mahasawat P, Boukaew S, Prasertsan P BioTechnologia (Pozn) 21-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10777724
doi:10.5114/bta.2023.132772
PMID:38213478
Antioxidant, hepatoprotective & nephroprotective potential of a novel synthetic compound 2′, 3′-dihydroxybenzylidene in paracetamol intoxicated rats Attaullah M, Ullah A, Hussain M, Zahoor M, Ullah R, Ali EA, Rahman AU, Jan A Heliyon 22-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10709503
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22676
PMID:38076096
Natural Antimicrobials: A Reservoir to Contrast Listeria monocytogenes Ricci A, Lazzi C, Bernini V Microorganisms 15-Oct-2023
PMCID:PMC10609241
doi:10.3390/microorganisms11102568
PMID:37894226
Antibiofilm, Antimicrobial, Anti-Quorum Sensing, and Antioxidant Activities of Saudi Sidr Honey: In Vitro and Molecular Docking Studies Bazaid AS, Alsolami A, Patel M, Khateb AM, Aldarhami A, Snoussi M, Almusheet SM, Qanash H Pharmaceutics 22-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10534861
doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15092177
PMID:37765148
Valorisation of Zingiber officinale Roscoe postharvest residues as byproducts with antioxidant capacity Jorge-Montalvo P, Vílchez-Perales C, Visitación-Figueroa L Heliyon 15-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10457535
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19137
PMID:37636380
In Vitro Antiproliferative Apoptosis Induction and Cell Cycle Arrest Potential of Saudi Sidr Honey against Colorectal Cancer Qanash H, Bazaid AS, Binsaleh NK, Patel M, Althomali OW, Sheeha BB Nutrients 04-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10421499
doi:10.3390/nu15153448
PMID:37571386
Honey Origin Authentication via Mineral Profiling Combined with Chemometric Approaches Pavlin A, Kočar D, Imperl J, Kolar M, Marolt G, Petrova P Foods 25-Jul-2023
PMCID:PMC10417852
doi:10.3390/foods12152826
PMID:37569095
Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, Toxicological, and Pharmacological Properties of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam.: A Comprehensive Review Bencheikh N, Radi FZ, Fakchich J, Elbouzidi A, Ouahhoud S, Ouasti M, Bouhrim M, Ouasti I, Hano C, Elachouri M Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 11-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10142143
doi:10.3390/ph16040575
PMID:37111332

Phytochemical Profile Top

Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
(1R,2R,3R,4R,6R,7R,8S,9R,12R,13R,16S,18R)-16-[(2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-1,2,7,13,17,17-hexamethyl-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-3,4,7-triol 102066552 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3CCC4(C5CCC6C7C(C(OC7(C(C6(C5(CCC4C3(C)C)C)C)O)O)CC=C(C)C)(C)O)C)CO)O)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O 961.10 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00721-2
(1R,2R,3R,4R,6R,7R,8S,9R,12R,13R,16S,18R)-16-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-1,2,7,13,17,17-hexamethyl-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-3,4,7-triol 102066551 Click to see 961.10 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00721-2
(2R)-2-[(2R)-4-[(2R)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-[[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-3-[(2R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-2-[[(1S,2R,5R,10R,11R,14S,15R,16S,20S)-16-hydroxy-2,6,6,10,16-pentamethyl-18-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-19,21-dioxahexacyclo[18.2.1.01,14.02,11.05,10.015,20]tricosan-7-yl]oxy]oxan-3-yl]oxy-6-methyloxane-3,4,5-triol 138114261 Click to see 1207.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00721-2
2-[[3-[3,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-6-[4,5-dihydroxy-2-[[(1S,2R,7S,10R,11R,14R,15S,16S,20S)-16-hydroxy-2,6,6,10,16-pentamethyl-18-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-19,21-dioxahexacyclo[18.2.1.01,14.02,11.05,10.015,20]tricosan-7-yl]oxy]-6-methyloxan-3-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 11970115 Click to see 1207.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00721-2
2-[4-[4,5-Dihydroxy-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-[[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-2-[[16-hydroxy-2,6,6,10,16-pentamethyl-18-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-19,21-dioxahexacyclo[18.2.1.01,14.02,11.05,10.015,20]tricosan-7-yl]oxy]oxan-3-yl]oxy-6-methyloxane-3,4,5-triol 73110002 Click to see 1237.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00721-2
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Peptides / Cyclic peptides
(13Z)-6-(2-amino-3-methylbutanoyl)-10-butan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.2.2.03,7]nonadeca-1(17),13,15,18-tetraene-8,11-dione 152772014 Click to see 442.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00363-X
(E)-N-[(10E)-7-(2-methylpropyl)-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide 14729078 Click to see CC(C)CC1C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)OC(C(C(=O)N1)NC(=O)C=CC3=CC=CC=C3)C(C)C 489.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
2-(dimethylamino)-N-[(10E)-7-(1-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-3-phenylpropanamide 14729081 Click to see CC(C)C1C(C(=O)NC(C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(O1)C=C2)C(C(C)C)O)NC(=O)C(CC3=CC=CC=C3)N(C)C 550.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Peptides / Oligopeptides
(2S)-2-(dimethylamino)-N-[(3R,4S,7S,10E)-7-(2-methylpropyl)-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-3-phenylpropanamide 101921947 Click to see CC(C)CC1C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)OC(C(C(=O)N1)NC(=O)C(CC3=CC=CC=C3)N(C)C)C(C)C 534.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
(2S)-N-[(2S)-1-[(7S,10S,13E)-10-butan-2-yl-16-hydroxy-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraen-6-yl]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-4-methylpentanamide 101917047 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)NC(=O)C(CC(C)C)N(C)C)O 647.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00363-X
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00669-K
(2S)-N-[(2S)-1-[(7S,10S,13E)-10-butan-2-yl-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.2.2.03,7]nonadeca-1(17),13,15,18-tetraen-6-yl]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-4-methylpentanamide 101917049 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)NC(=O)C(CC(C)C)N(C)C 631.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85186-U
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00669-K
(2S)-N-[(3S,4S,7R,10E)-7-benzyl-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-1-[(E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide 101921946 Click to see 620.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
(2S)-N-[(3S,4S,7R,10E)-7-butan-2-yl-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 101921404 Click to see 534.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
(3S,10S,13E)-10-butan-2-yl-6-[(2S)-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanoyl]-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.2.2.03,7]nonadeca-1(18),13,15(19),16-tetraene-8,11-dione 101229399 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)N(C)C 518.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85186-U
(3S,10S,13E)-10-butan-2-yl-6-[(2S)-2-(methylamino)-3-phenylpropanoyl]-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.2.2.03,7]nonadeca-1(18),13,15(19),16-tetraene-8,11-dione 101229398 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)NC 504.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00363-X
10-Butan-2-yl-16-hydroxy-6-[2-(methylamino)-3-phenylpropanoyl]-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraene-8,11-dione 163044971 Click to see 520.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00669-K
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00363-X
2-(Dimethylamino)-N-[(10Z)-7-(2-methylpropyl)-5,8-dioxo-3-propan-2-yl-2-oxa-6,9-diazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadeca-1(14),10,12,15-tetraen-4-yl]-3-phenylpropanamide 5317387 Click to see 534.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50118A004
> Organic acids and derivatives / Peptidomimetics / Hybrid peptides
(2S)-N-[(2S)-1-[(7S,10S,13E)-10-butan-2-yl-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.2.2.03,7]nonadeca-1(17),13,15,18-tetraen-6-yl]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]-N,3-dimethyl-2-(methylamino)butanamide 101917048 Click to see 617.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00669-K
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Biflavonoids and polyflavonoids
Procyanidin B2, (+)- 122738 Click to see C1C(C(OC2=C1C(=CC(=C2C3C(C(OC4=CC(=CC(=C34)O)O)C5=CC(=C(C=C5)O)O)O)O)O)C6=CC(=C(C=C6)O)O)O 578.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Catechins
Epicatechin 72276 Click to see 290.27 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols
Quercetin 5280343 Click to see 302.23 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
Quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside 15939939 Click to see 448.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Rutin 5280805 Click to see 610.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200323205

Gallery Top

We don't have an image yet. Upload an image!

Contributors Top

No known contributors. Be the first!

Collections Top

In private collections 0
In public collections 0
You need to be authenticated in order to add this taxon to a personal collection.