Ziziphus oenopolia

Ziziphus oenopolia, commonly known as the jackal jujube, small-fruited jujube or wild jujube, is a flowering plant with a broad distribution through tropical and subtropical Asia and Australasia. In India, it is mostly found in the deciduous forests of the southern part of the country.

Description

A thorny shrub. It grows about 5 m high. It has straggling branches. The leaves are short stalked. The leaves are 2.3-5.5 cm long by 1.3-3 cm wide. They are oval to sword shaped. They taper to a tip. There are teeth around the edge. Leaves are unequal at the base. The flowers are yellowish. The fruit is fleshy with a hard covering over the seed. It is oval and yellow when fully ripe. There is a thin layer of acidic flesh around the seed.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Both ripe and unripe fruits are eaten. They can be dried for off-season consumption. The shiny, black, globose or obovoid-globose fruit is around 5 - 7mm long and 5 - 6mm wide, containing 1 - 2 seeds.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also dried and stored.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant produces active phytochemicals, such as phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and carbohydrates. The plant produces cyclopeptide alkaloids known as ziziphines. The stem, bark, leaves, fruit, and roots are used in Ayurveda for the treatment of various conditions, such as ulcers, stomach aches, obesity, and asthma. The stem bark has antioxidant properties. Bark and roots are used for anti-diabetic treatments. The Konkani people of Maharashtra use the chewed leaves as a dressing for wounds. In Burma the stem bark is used as a mouthwash for sore throats, for dysentery, and for inflammation of the uterus. Research in Thailand has found that extracts of ziziphine from Ziziphus oenopolia show antiplasmodial in vitro activity against the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Distribution

A tropical plant. In Nepal plants grow to 1600 m altitude. They grow on the edge of the subtropical forest. In Yunnan in China it grows between 600-900 m above sea level. It occurs in the Western Ghats in India.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.

Propagation

Seed - remove the flesh from around the seed then soak the seed in cold water for 6 hours. Cover the seed in seedling trays with a thin layer of river sand and keep moist. Seeds usually germinate in 2 - 3 weeks with a minimum of 75% germination. Seedlings transplant easily into black nursery soil but they have long taproots and care should be taken not to damage them. Root suckers.

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins. Total tannin content is only around 12%. The seeds are used to make rosaries The branches are used to make fences. The stems are used for fuel. The plant is very prickly, and is grown as a hedge to provide a barrier to keep out livestock and other grazing animals. Care needs to be taken to keep it in check, however, since it can spread rapidly to form almost impenetrable masses of prickly stems.

Other Information

Fruit are especially eaten by children.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Akar kuku tupai, Anbulam, Arem pokuri, Aule bayar, Bahukantaka, Bak lep meuw, Banka, Ban kul, Barige, Barokoli, Bir janum, Boksi bayar, Bombori, Bon boroi, Bon kul, Boydi, Burgi, Challe, Chan-bor, Cheruthodali, Chiyakul, Chruthodali, Churai, Churi, Emardi, Eramdi, Hin eraminiya, Hurasurah, Ironi, Jackal jujube, Jangalkul, Jhurkal, Jujube buah kecil, Julie, Kanerballi, Kantakoli, Kanteikoli, Karisurimullu, Karkhandu, Kat-bor, Kontakoli, Kottaipazham, Kottavalli, Kuku lang, Kurirama janum, Leb yiew, Lep yio, Maak lep meuw, Mahkua, Mainam-nu, Makai, Mak-hkaw-hku, Makor, Meximela, Mokaiya, Njilamyin, Novelo, Paragi, Paraki, Parimi, Paringi, Paungbet, Pulichi, Sekul, Siakul, Sial kul, Soori, Sotta, Srigalakoli, Supauk-pin, Suraimullu, Suraiyilandai, Suri, Tao rung, Taw-zi-nwe, Thodalli, Tudali, Tutalimullu, Vor sangkher, Yaroni, Yeroni, Yeruni

References (62)

• Ajesh, T. P., et al, 2012, Ethnobotanical Documentation of Wild Edible Fruits used by Muthuvan Tribes of Idukki, Kerala-India. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences 3(3): 479-487
• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2618
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 703
• Arinathan, V., et al, 2007, Wild edibles used by Palliyars of the western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 6(1) pp 163-168
• Ashton, M. S., et al 1997, A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publications Ltd. pdf p 318

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