Ziziphus xylopyrus

(Retz.) Willd.

Rhamnaceae Edible: Seeds, Kernels, Nuts, Fruit 101 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A tree. It grows 12 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are broadly oval and with teeth along the edge. The flowers are yellowish-green and occur in hairy groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit is round and fleshy with a stone inside. It is 2 cm across. There are 2 or 3 seeds.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw, though they are sour and lack much flavor. The seeds are dried and then eaten. Fruit are sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit is eaten raw. It is sour but lacks taste. The seeds are dried and then eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The powdered fresh stem bark powder is soaked in water for twelve hours and filtered; the filtrate is taken orally in empty stomach as a treatment for stomachache. The powder is made into a paste and taken in the form of pills as a treatment for cholera. The root bark powder, combined with that of Anogeissus latifolia and Acacia catechu, together with the whole plant of Viscum articulatum, is taken orally with water as a treatment for bleeding piles and also bleeding from the nose and mouth. The bark is boiled with water to make a wash for treating skin rashes The powdered fruit is taken orally as a treatment for diabetes. Combined with ginger, it is used to treat stomach aches. The fresh fruit is used to treat urinary spasms. The crushed fruit powder is soaked in water and kept overnight, the extract is taken by the women early in the morning for 7 days to check oogenesis. The fruit and bark contain tannins and are astringent. They are used in the treatment of diarrohea. The leaves are chewed as a remedy for urinary problems. A decoction of the leavs, combined with Muraya koenigii stem bark and Terminalia bellerica leaves are taken internally as a treatment for snake bites. A leaf paste is applied topically as a treatment for pimples. The powdered leaves, combined with the latex of Ipomea carnea, are applied topically on boils. A paste of the leaves, combined with the flowers of Datura innoxia, is applied on patches of leucoderma at night to bring relief. The crushed roots, combined with the stem barks of Calotropis gigantea, Erythroxylum monogynum, Pterocarpus marsupium, and 10 - 12 dry chili peppers is used in the treatment of asthma. The roasted seed powder paste is applied over the chest for relieving the pain after cough and colds The seeds are dried and ground to a fine powder. One table spoon full of powder, mixed with 50ml of water, is taken orally in the treatment of diarrhoea. An alcoholic extract of the bark possesses anti-nociceptive, anti-convulsant and anti-inflammatory properties. The plant contains alkaloids, amphibine H and nummularine K. Both the alkaloids showed significant antimicrobial activity.

Distribution

It is a temperate to subtropical plant. In the Himalayas in India it grows up to 800 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Asia, Assam, Bangladesh, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Northeastern India, Sri Lanka,

Cultivation

In India the tree is important as a host for the lac insect..

Other Uses

A tannin obtained from the seeds is used as a black dye. The wood is used for fuel.

Other Information

Fruit are sold in local markets.

Synonyms

Rhamnus xylopyrus Retz.Ziziphus glaberrima (Sedgw.) Santapauand several others

Also Known As

Bhorgotti, Bon boroi, Bor, Challe, Dagadi bor, Ghatbor, Ghont, Ghot, Ghunt, Gora, Got, Gote, Goti, Gotoboro, Gotte, Hadkibor, Jhangli boroi, Kakor, Kantabohul, Kantegoti, Karkat, Kathber, Kat-ber, Khat-beri, Kotta, Kottei, Kottaielanti, Mullukare, Mullukottai, Suti

References (28)

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Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 704
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
Bajpai, O., et al, 2015, Tree species of the Himalayan Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, India: a checklist. Check List 11(4): 1718
Balkrishna, A., et al, 2022, Indigenous Uses of Plants among Forest-dependent Communities of Seijosa, Arunachal Pradesh. International Journal of Economic Plants 2022, 9(1):064-080

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