Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf.
- Dataset
- English Wikipedia - Species Pages
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- genus
- Ziziphus
- species
- Ziziphus spina-christi
Abstract
Ziziphus spina-christi, known as the Christ's thorn jujube, is an evergreen tree or plant native to northern and tropical Africa, Southern and Western Asia. It is native to the Levant, East Africa, Mesopotamia and some tropical countries. Fruit and leaves from the tree were used in preparing ancient Egyptian foods and cultural practices.
Cultural and religious references
In the Levant and wider Middle East it is called sidr (associated with the lote tree of the Quran) and is common in the Jordan Valley and around Jerusalem, as well as in the Hajar Mountains of the Sultanate of Oman. There were some folklore traditions that said the trees were protected by benevolent spirits or dead saints (weli). By some traditions, it was the tree from which Jesus' crown of thorns was made. Matthew George Easton argues that Z. spina-christi is too brittle to be bent into a crown, and suggests another local plant, Ziziphus lotus. The oldest known Z. spina-christi is located south of Jerusalem, in Ein Hatzeva, Israel. It is estimated to be between 1500 and 2000 years old. It is believed locally to be the very tree from which Jesus' crown of thorns was made.
Ecology
In the Levant, it grows in valleys up to an elevation of 500 m.Cited in The ripe fruits are edible. The seed, contained within a small, oblong woody pit, is opened and eaten by local fauna, including the rock hyrax.
Gallery
File:Zizyphus spina-christi.jpg|Fruit File:شکوفه درخت کنار، بهبهان.jpg|alt=Ziziphus Spina-Christi Blossom|''Z. spina-christi'' blossom File:درخت کنار خودرو، بهبهان.jpg|alt=Wild Ziziphus Tree, Behbahan|Wild ''Z. spina-christi'' tree in Iran File:میوه درخت کنار، بهبهان.jpg|alt=Behbahan|''Z. spina-christi'' fruit, [[Behbahan]], Iran
Name
- Homonyms
- Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf.