Ziziphus oxyphylla
Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 20: 43. 1846; M.
Lawson in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 634. 1875.
Punj.: Amadai, Amnia, Beri, Giggar, Kokan ber, Pitni, Shamor.
Deciduous shrubs or small trees, 7-9 m tall; branches alternate or fascicled, purple, appressed golden pubescent, glabrous with age; spines in pairs, 0.8 - 1 cm long, one straight and other more or less curved. Leaves broadly to obliquely ovate, 1.5 -5.8 x 1.1-3.1 cm, apex acuminate to obtusely acute, broadly rounded or subcordate at base, glabrous to glabrescent, crenate to serrate, basally 3- nerved, the middle nerve with 2-4 prominent lateral nerves, which are camptodromous; petioles 4-8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary fascicles or cymes. Flowers 5-6 mm across. Pedicels 1-3 mm long in flower, 10-20 mm long in fruit; bracts brown, subulate, 1-2 mm long, pubescent. Calyx lobes 2-3 mm long, thickened along margin. Petals obovate, 2 mm long, clawed. Stamens equalling the petals; anthers dorsifixed. Disc 5-lobed, thin, thickened around the ovary. Ovary bilocular, glabrous; style 2-cleft, united below the middle. Drupes ovoid, 8 mm in diam., pendulous, red or black when ripe. 2-celled, fleshy; stone thin and crustaceous, flattened. Seeds 2, 4-5 mm long; testa brown, shining.
Deciduous shrubs or small trees, 7-9 m tall; branches alternate or fascicled, purple, appressed golden pubescent, glabrous with age; spines in pairs, 0.8 - 1 cm long, one straight and other more or less curved. Leaves broadly to obliquely ovate, 1.5 -5.8 x 1.1-3.1 cm, apex acuminate to obtusely acute, broadly rounded or subcordate at base, glabrous to glabrescent, crenate to serrate, basally 3- nerved, the middle nerve with 2-4 prominent lateral nerves, which are camptodromous; petioles 4-8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary fascicles or cymes. Flowers 5-6 mm across. Pedicels 1-3 mm long in flower, 10-20 mm long in fruit; bracts brown, subulate, 1-2 mm long, pubescent. Calyx lobes 2-3 mm long, thickened along margin. Petals obovate, 2 mm long, clawed. Stamens equalling the petals; anthers dorsifixed. Disc 5-lobed, thin, thickened around the ovary. Ovary bilocular, glabrous; style 2-cleft, united below the middle. Drupes ovoid, 8 mm in diam., pendulous, red or black when ripe. 2-celled, fleshy; stone thin and crustaceous, flattened. Seeds 2, 4-5 mm long; testa brown, shining.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1a. Leaves serrulate; inflorescence axillary fascicles | 13.1. oxyphylla |
| b. Leaves crenate; inflorescence axillary cymes | 13.2. pedicellaris |
