TREES COMMONLY CULTIVATED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Ziziphus mauritiana Rhamnaceae
Synonyms: Rhamnus jujuba, Ziziphus jujuba
Common names: Indian jujube (En); putrea (Cam); widara, dara, bidara (Ins); than (Lao);
bidara, jujub, epal siam (Mal); zee-pen, zizidaw (Mya); manzanitas (Phi); phutsaa, ma tan (Tha);
tao, tao nhuc (Vie).
Description: A bushy shrub or small tree up to 15 m
high with drooping branches and hairy zigzagging twigs
with small paired spines at leave bases (occasionally
absent). Leaves alternate, simple, elliptic-ovate to
oblong-elliptic, 2–9 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide, entire or
slightly crenate, glossy above, densely white haired
below with 3 conspicuous longitudinal veins and 8–15
Key characteristics: Small;
drooping branches; hairy
zigzagging twigs with small
spines; leaf hairy underneath, 3
prominent veins.
mm long leaf stalks. Inflorescence from leaf corners, 1–2 cm long with 7–20 yellowish 5-merous
flowers, 2–3 mm across, weakly fragrant. The yellowish to reddish or blackish fruit is globose to
ovoid, up to 6 × 4 cm when cultivated, smaller on wild trees, with glossy smooth or rough skin
and white, juicy, weakly acid to sweet flesh.
Use: The fruit is eaten fresh, used to make drinks, candy or syrup or preserved by drying.
Young leaves are cooked as vegetables or used as fodder. The tree is also used as a host tree
for rearing lac insects, harvested to prepare shellac. The reddish wood is used for turnery,
household items and implements.
Ecology: A hardy species tolerating extreme temperatures and dry conditions. Growing from
sea level to about 1,000 m altitude where annual rainfall ranges between 125 to 2,000 mm,
preferably on fairly light and deep soils, but tolerate even occasional waterlogging.
Distribution: Cultivated on small scale throughout the tropics and subtropics including all
countries in Southeast Asia.
References: Verheij & Coronel (1992).