Ziziphus mauritiana
Lam., Encycl. 3: 319. 1789. Z.
jujuba (L.)
Gaertner, Fruct. 1: 203. 1788 (non Miller, 1768); M. Lawson in Fl. Brit. India
1: 632. 1875. Rhamnus jujuba L., Sp. Pl. 194. 1753.
Abor.: Gamge-asing, Beng.: Bagri, Garo: Thengkhi; Guj.: Ber, Bordi;
Kh. Dieng-Soh-broi; Kum. : Guter, ,Khalis, Mikir: Thakri-arong; Miri & Asm.:
Boguri.
Large shrubs or trees, 1-15 m tall; bark dark grey or nearly black, with
deep vertical cracks, reddish and fibrous inside; younger parts rusty tomentose;
spines solitary or in pairs, straight or one of them recurved; nodes slightly
enlarged around the leaf scars. Leaves alternate" variable, broadly elliptic or
ovate, 2-9.8 x 1-4.3 cm, often obtuse, mucronate at apex, serrulate or entire,
pubescent or glabrous above, tomentose to densely brown or white silky
tomentose beneath, basally 3-nerved; stipules spinescent. Inflorescence short
axillary cymes or 10-13-flowered fascicles; peduncles 1-8 mm long. Flowers
4-6 mm across, green-white; pedicels 2-5 mm in flowers, 3-7 mm in fruits,
tomentose. Calyx lobes glabrous within, tomentose without, tube campanulate.
Petals spathulate, 1-1.5 mm long. Stamens equal to petals. Disc distinctly 10-
grooved, fleshy. Ovary bicarpellary, bilocular, glabrous; style short, 2-cleft,
united to the middle; stigmatic lobes curved. Drupes 2(-1) celled; exceeding
or less than 1 cm in diam.; kernel irregularly furrowed with a hard, thick,
boney shell. Seeds 1 or 2, compressed.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
1a. Flowers borne in cymes; peduncles more than 6 mm long.
