Ziziphus mucronata

Details Top

Internal ID UUID643ffbef311f5998169809
Scientific name Ziziphus mucronata
Authority Willd.
First published in Enum. Pl. : 251 (1809)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
The species is most widely used for living hedges. The thorny, coppicing growth habit and drought tolerance make it effective for boundary demarcation and stock control. In parts of southern Africa it is also planted for soil stabilization and dune rehabilitation, and seedlings are used in restoration and mine–site reclamation.

Industrial and craft applications:
Although not a major timber species, the hard, durable wood is occasionally used for tool handles, walking sticks, posts, and small turned items where toughness is required. Bark tannins have been used in leather tanning and as a natural brown dye for wool and cotton; commercial applications are not standardized and are typically small-scale.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Fruits are locally collected as food; preparation is commonly by sun-drying and storage for later consumption, sometimes as a minor ingredient in traditional beer or other beverages (fermented products are food, not medicine).

Colorants and tanning:
Bark and occasionally leaves provide brown dyes for protein fibers and tannin for leather. Quantities and quality vary regionally; documentation for large-scale use is limited.

Wood and fiber:
Hard, dense, rot-resistant wood suited to small, stress-bearing items (e.g., tool handles, club/stick, posts). Information on mechanical properties is anecdotal; the plant is not a pulpwood species.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
No established fragrance or cosmetic use has been documented.

Properties relevant to use:
- Growth form and thorn structure provide defensive barriers and enable coppicing for live fencing.
- Bark contains hydrolyzable or condensed tannins that mordant and dye protein fibers; tannins form complexes with collagen, aiding leather tanning.
- Fruit is locally used as a food source, typically after drying or fermentation; the exact sugar/acid composition is not standardized for industry.

Standards and regulation:
No species-specific industry standards or regulatory frameworks are identified.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Most material is harvested from wild or semi-wild stands; planting in hedges and small stands reduces pressure on natural populations. The species’ drought and browse tolerance can be advantageous in low-input land-rehabilitation settings, but long-term supply potential and conservation status vary by region; systematic assessments are lacking.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Ziziphus mitis A.Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 137 (1847)
Ziziphus adelensis Delile Sec. Voy. Choa : 341 (1846)
Ziziphus bubalina Licht. ex Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 5: 334 (1819)
Ziziphus baclei DC. Prodr. 2: 20 (1825)
Ziziphus madecassa H.Perrier Notul. Syst. (Paris) 11: 17 (1943)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English buffalo thorn
English isilahla
English blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie
Afrikaans blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie
Bambara surukuntɔmɔlɔn
Persian خار گاومیش
Fulah gulum jaabe
Finnish afrikanjujuba
Hausa magaryar kura
nso mokgalô
nso moonaona
Kinyarwanda umuganzacyaro (ziziphus mucronata)
ss umlahlabantu
tn mokgalo
ts mphasamhala
ve mutshetshete
wo siddeem bukki
xh umphafa
Chinese 凸棗
Chinese 水牛刺
Chinese 水牛刺棗
Chinese 凸枣
Zulu isilahla
Zulu umlahlankosi
Zulu umphafa

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • East Tropical Africa
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Northeast Tropical Africa
      • Chad
      • Djibouti
      • Eritrea
      • Ethiopia
      • Somalia
      • Sudan
    • South Tropical Africa
      • Angola
      • Malawi
      • Mozambique
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Southern Africa
      • Botswana
      • Cape Provinces
      • Caprivi Strip
      • Free State
      • Kwazulu-Natal
      • Namibia
      • Northern Provinces
      • Swaziland
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Benin
      • Burkina
      • Gambia
      • Guinea
      • Ivory Coast
      • Mali
      • Mauritania
      • Niger
      • Nigeria
      • Senegal
      • Togo
    • West-central Tropical Africa
      • Burundi
      • Cameroon
      • Central African Republic
      • Rwanda
      • Zaïre
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Madagascar

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000430319
Tropicos 27500879
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:719359-1
The Plant List kew-2470721
Open Tree Of Life 896363
NCBI Taxonomy 345811
IUCN Red List 146199970
IPNI 719359-1
iNaturalist 340228
GBIF 3875567
Freebase /m/03cb18k
EPPO ZIPMU
EOL 5535523
USDA GRIN 42288
Wikipedia Ziziphus_mucronata

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

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
Phytochemical evaluation of Ziziphus mucronata and Xysmalobium undulutum towards the discovery and development of anti-malarial drugs Buthelezi MN, Tshililo VG, Kappo AP, Simelane MB Malar J 11-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11088772
doi:10.1186/s12936-024-04976-1
PMID:38734650
Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Status of Regeneration in Pugnido Forest, Gambella Region, Western Ethiopia Masresha G, Melkamu Y, Mulu G Scientifica (Cairo) 04-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11008979
doi:10.1155/2024/3961434
PMID:38605976
Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and their utilization by indigenous and local communities of Dugda District, Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia Oda BK, Lulekal E, Warkineh B, Asfaw Z, Debella A J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 09-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10924356
doi:10.1186/s13002-024-00665-0
PMID:38461267
Medicinal herbs and their metabolites with biological potential to protect and combat liver toxicity and its disorders: A review Islam Shawon S, Nargis Reyda R, Qais N Heliyon 01-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10864916
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25340
PMID:38356556
Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the people of Mosop, Nandi County in Kenya Maiyo ZC, Njeru SN, Toroitich FJ, Indieka SA, Obonyo MA Front Pharmacol 19-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10834697
doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1328903
PMID:38313073
A Review of Ethnomedicinal Plants as Potential Anthelmintic Agents to Alternatively Control Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Ruminants in South Africa Mhlongo LC, Mseleku C, Tenza T, Fomum SW, McGaw LJ, Hassen A, Nsahlai IV J Parasitol Res 16-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10805549
doi:10.1155/2024/7955692
PMID:38268708
Determinants of plant community along environmental gradients in Geramo forest, the western escarpment of the rift valley of Ethiopia Getaneh ZA, Demissew S, Woldu Z, Aynekulu E PLoS One 27-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10681247
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0294324
PMID:38011089
Population structure and phenological attributes of Adansonia digitata L. (baobab) in Northwestern lowland area of Ethiopia Abere M, Yilma Z, Tsegie T, Eshete A, Alemu A Heliyon 24-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10696176
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22571
PMID:38058453
Indigenous knowledge and use of medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary within the North West Province, South Africa Ndou RV, Materechera SA, Mwanza M, Otang-Mbeng W, Ijane MF Front Vet Sci 22-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10703488
doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1273562
PMID:38076569
Potential of medicinal plants as antimalarial agents: a review of work done at Kenya Medical Research Institute Irungu B, Okari E, Nyangi M, Njeru S, Koech L Front Pharmacol 20-Oct-2023
PMCID:PMC10623325
doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1268924
PMID:37927601
Resprouting Response among Savanna Tree Species in Relation to Stem Size, Woody Removal Intensity and Herbicide Application Monegi P, Mkhize NR, Tjelele JT, Ward D, Tsvuura Z Plants (Basel) 30-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10574858
doi:10.3390/plants12193451
PMID:37836191
Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of Plants Used in Nonconventional Medicine in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Chiribagula Valentin B, Ndjolo Philippe O, Mboni Henry M, Mushagalusa Kasali F Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 20-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10533323
doi:10.1155/2023/4621883
PMID:37771953
Biological Activity and Metabolomics of Griffonia simplicifolia Seeds Extracted with Different Methodologies Mannino G, Serio G, Gaglio R, Maffei ME, Settanni L, Di Stefano V, Gentile C Antioxidants (Basel) 01-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10525635
doi:10.3390/antiox12091709
PMID:37760012
New Insights into the Latest Advancement in α-Amylase Inhibitors of Plant Origin with Anti-Diabetic Effects Kashtoh H, Baek KH Plants (Basel) 14-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10458243
doi:10.3390/plants12162944
PMID:37631156
Resources and Habitat Requirements for Giraffes’ (Giraffa camelopardalis) Diet Selection in the Northwestern Kalahari, South Africa Deacon F, Smit GN, Grobbelaar A Animals (Basel) 03-Jul-2023
PMCID:PMC10339880
doi:10.3390/ani13132188
PMID:37443986

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Triterpene glycosides / Triterpene saponins
Desulfated holothurin A 3038027 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(COC2OC3CCC4(C(C3(C)C)CCC5C4=CC(C67C5(CCC6(C(OC7=O)(C)C8CCC(O8)(C)C)O)C)O)C)O)O)O)O)OC9C(C(C(C(O9)CO)O)OC1C(C(C(C(O1)CO)O)OC)O)O 1119.20 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Peptides / Cyclic peptides
(2S)-N-[(2R,3S)-1-[(3S,7R,10S,13Z)-10-[(2R)-butan-2-yl]-16-methoxy-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraen-6-yl]-3-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 163035182 Click to see 661.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
(2S)-N-[(2S)-1-[(3R,7R,10S,13Z)-10-[(2S)-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]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 163186687 Click to see 647.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
(2S)-N-[(2S)-1-[(3R,7S,10S,13Z)-10-[(2S)-butan-2-yl]-16-methoxy-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraen-6-yl]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 163194746 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC(C)C)NC(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)N(C)C)OC 661.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
Abyssenine A 23643768 Click to see 458.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9601972
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Peptides / Oligopeptides
(3R,7R,10S,13Z)-10-[(2S)-butan-2-yl]-6-[(2S)-2-(dimethylamino)-4-methylpentanoyl]-16-methoxy-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraene-8,11-dione 163190108 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC(C)C)N(C)C)OC 514.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
10-Butan-2-yl-6-[2-(dimethylamino)-4-methylpentanoyl]-16-methoxy-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.03,7]nonadeca-1(19),13,15,17-tetraene-8,11-dione 163044162 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC(C)C)N(C)C)OC 514.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
Mucronine D 5373023 Click to see 661.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9601972
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
Mucronine J 10719669 Click to see 484.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9601972
N-[1-(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)-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl]-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 163018995 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC(C)C)NC(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)N(C)C)O 647.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1
N-{1-[10-(butan-2-yl)-16-methoxy-8,11-dioxo-2-oxa-6,9,12-triazatricyclo[13.3.1.0^{3,7}]nonadeca-1(18),13,15(19),16-tetraen-6-yl]-4-methyl-1-oxopentan-2-yl}-2-(dimethylamino)-3-phenylpropanamide 16058117 Click to see CCC(C)C1C(=O)NC=CC2=C(C=CC(=C2)OC3CCN(C3C(=O)N1)C(=O)C(CC(C)C)NC(=O)C(CC4=CC=CC=C4)N(C)C)OC 661.80 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9601972
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86897-1

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