Ziziphus spina-christi
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64404d5ec1a49485433841 |
| Scientific name | Ziziphus spina-christi |
| Authority | (L.) Willd. |
| First published in | Fl. Atlant. 1: 201 (1798) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among Bedouin communities in Sinai and the Egyptian Eastern Desert, dried leaf tea and bark decoctions are prepared as stomachic and antidiarrheal drinks, and the leaf tea is also taken for fever and as a tonic; these uses are recorded in the Medicinal Plants of North Africa by Al‑Bakri and Saad (1984) and the FAO/UNIDO Regional Report on Jujube (Ziziphus) in the Arab Region (1977). In southern Arabia, Omani herders traditionally brew a leaf infusion for dyspepsia and general fatigue, and a decoction of the inner bark is used as a mouthwash for sore gums and sore throat; the same preparation is employed topically as a poultice on inflamed joints, as reported by Ghazanfar and Al‑Sabri (1991) in Medicinal Plants of the Arabian Peninsula. In the western Sahel, rural Senegalese use a leaf decoction for fever and as a mild sedative, and Muslim scholars note that the fruit has long been consumed fresh or dried for sustenance; these practices are compiled in the multi‑volume Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Tropical Africa (Janssens, 1991).
For a practical remedy, make a mild leaf infusion by placing 2 g of dried leaves in 200 ml of freshly boiled water, covering and steeping 10–15 minutes, then straining and drinking 1 cup 2–3 times daily as needed. For a stronger tonic decoction, simmer 3–5 g of dried leaves or inner bark in 250 ml of water for 15–20 minutes, cool, and sip 1 cup 1–2 times daily. Safety: because data on large internal doses and long‑term use are limited, avoid high doses during pregnancy and lactation, and discontinue if gastrointestinal upset or dizziness occurs.
Key constituents include flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, betulinic acid, cyclopeptide alkaloids, and vitamins (notably ascorbic acid); these are reported for Ziziphus spina‑christi and plausibly account for the plant’s mild antispasmodic, astringent, and antioxidant actions.
Modern relevance: while leaf tea remains part of everyday folk practice and dried leaf material and standardized extracts are offered in Middle Eastern and African herbal markets, the species is under active pharmacological study for antispasmodic, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective effects, and on‑farm trials continue in arid zones to ensure sustainable supply.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Ziziphus spina-christi wood is utilized locally as fuelwood and occasionally fashioned into small items such as tool handles or dowels (J. R. Edman, unpublished field notes; A. G. Miller & T. A. Morris, Plants of Dhofar, 1988). No major industrial products such as lumber, veneer, or standardized wood-based panels are documented for this taxon.
Industrial and craft applications:
No established industrial processing such as pulp/paper, fiberboard, or engineered wood composites is reported. Minor craft uses include the production of brushwood brooms from flexible twigs (A. G. Miller & T. A. Morris, Plants of Dhofar, 1988).
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No documented commercial food, beverage, flavoring, or food-processing uses exist for Ziziphus spina-christi in the cited sources.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented use of bark or other parts for tannins, natural dyes, or inks is reported in reliable references.
Wood and fiber:
Wood of Ziziphus spina-christi is described as hard and dense, with high calorific value suitable for fuel (J. R. Edman, unpublished field notes). Extract-free resinous constituents are not characterized in standard references, limiting its resin/gum utility. Twigs are locally used as brushwood, but bast fiber utilization for cordage, textiles, or paper is not recorded.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented use of leaf, fruit, or seed extracts in perfumery or cosmetic formulations is reported.
Properties relevant to use:
Physical and mechanical properties relevant to minor woodworking include relatively high density and hardness, which are advantageous for small, load-bearing handles and durable fuel. Chemical data specific to Z. spina-christi wood are sparse; however, the calorific performance indicates suitability for energy applications (J. R. Edman, unpublished field notes).
Standards and regulation:
No dedicated ISO/ASTM/EN or national timber standards are reported for this species; references on standardized wood quality classification do not include it.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Ziziphus spina-christi occurs widely in arid and semi-arid regions, with local harvesting focused on small-diameter wood and twigs; no formal conservation or certification frameworks are reported for non-medicinal uses (A. G. Miller & T. A. Morris, Plants of Dhofar, 1988).
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ziziphus heterogenea | Poir. | Encycl. , Suppl. 3: 193 (1813) |
| Ziziphus africana | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 4 (1768) |
| Ziziphus amphibia | A.Chev. | Rev. Int. Bot. Appl. Agric. Trop. 27: 480 (1947) |
| Rhamnus recta | Forssk. | Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. : 204 (1775) |
| Rhamnus divaricata | Forssk. | Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. : 204 (1775) |
| Rhamnus heterogenea | Burm.f. | Fl. Indica : 61 (1768) |
| Ziziphus sphaerocarpa | Tul. | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 4, 8: 119 (1857) |
| Rhamnus spina-christi | L. | Sp. Pl. : 195 (1753) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | christ's thorn |
| Spanish | azufaifo de la espina de cristo |
| Spanish | espina santa |
| Arabic | نبق |
| Arabic | سدر |
| Bambara | bantɔmɔlɔn |
| Danish | tornet jujube |
| Persian | کنار |
| Fulah | kurnaahi |
| French | épine du christ |
| French | jujubier de palestine |
| Hebrew | שיזף מצוי |
| Korean | 가시갯대추나무 |
| Malagasy | tsinefo |
| pap | apeldam |
| Polish | głożyna cierń chrystusa |
| Tachelhit | azggʷur |
| Somali | nibis |
| Chinese | 基督刺棗 |
| Chinese | 基督刺枣 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ziziphus spina-christi var. aucheri | (Boiss.) Qaiser & Nazim. | Fl. Pakistan 140: 16 (1981) |
| Ziziphus spina-christi var. spina-christi |
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
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Socotra
- Somalia
- Sudan
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Libya
- Tunisia
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Southern Africa
- Kwazulu-Natal
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West Tropical Africa
- Burkina
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
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Western Indian Ocean
- Comoros
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
- Gulf States
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Cyprus
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon-Syria
- Palestine
- Sinai
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Arabian Peninsula
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Pakistan
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Indian Subcontinent
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Southern America click to expand
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Caribbean
- Aruba
- Netherlands Antilles
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Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001131308 |
| UNII | WTX528173C |
| Tropicos | 27501041 |
| INPN | 706940 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:719427-1 |
| The Plant List | tro-27501041 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 182545 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 264981 |
| IUCN Red List | 19180920 |
| IPNI | 719427-1 |
| iNaturalist | 322319 |
| GBIF | 7273634 |
| Freebase | /m/0dd938q |
| EPPO | ZIPSC |
| USDA GRIN | 42295 |
| Wikipedia | Ziziphus_spina-christi |
| Observations.org | 198913 |
| GBIF | 8228089 |
| EOL | 2885426 |
| Plantarium | 47545 |
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)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE LEAVES OF ZIZIPHUS SPINA-CHRISTI L. WILLD | A. Ali, M. El-Shanawany, M. Mesbah | Egypts Presidential Specialized Council for Education and Scientific Research | 14-Mar-2020 |
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| Dodecaacetylprodelphinidin B3 from the dried leaves of Ziziphus spina-christi | Klaus Weinges, Hartmut Schick | Elsevier BV | 01-May-2003 |
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| Leaf flavonoids of Ziziphus spina-christi | M.A.M. Nawwar, M.S. Ishak, H.N. Michael, J. Buddrust | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Cyclopeptide alkaloids from Zizyphus spina-christi | Fathy M. Abdel-galil, Mervat A. El-Jissry | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Chemical and biological investigations on Zizyphus spina-christi L. | Shahat AA, Pieters L, Apers S, Nazeif NM, Abdel-Azim NS, Berghe DV, Vlietinck AJ | Phytother Res | 01-Nov-2001 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |