Publication
from Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0
by C. Orwa, A. Mutua, R. Kindt, R. Jamnadass and S. Anthony
Ziziphus Mauritiana Lam.
Local Names: Amharic (kurkura);
Arabic (nabak (fruit), sidr); Bengali (ber boroi, kool, ber, boroi);
Burmese (zee-pen, zizidaw, eng-si); English (dunks, jujube, Indian
cherry, Indian jujube, Indian plum, geb, ber, common jujube, Chinese
date, Chinese apple, bear tree, desert apple); Filipino (manzanita);
French (jujube, jujubier, jujubier commun, le jujubier, le jujubier
sauvage, liane croc-chien); German (Indischer Jujubenstrauch); Gujarati
(bordi); Hindi (baer, badari, elladu, ber, khati, jelachi); Indonesian
(widara, dara, bidara); Khmer (putrea); Lao (Sino-Tibetan) (than); Malay
(bidara, jujub, epal siam); Mandinka (tomborongo, tomboron moussana,
toboro); Nepali (bayer); Sanskrit (kuvala, karkandhu, badara, ajapriya,
madhuraphala); Somali (geb, gub); Spanish (yuyuba, Ponseré,
perita haitiana); Swahili (mkunazi); Tamil (elandai, yellande); Thai
(ma thong, ma tan, phutsan); Tigrigna (geva); Trade name (jujube); Urdu
(ber); Vietnamese (tao nhuc, tao, c[aa]y t[as]o ta)
Family: Rhamnaceae
Botanic Description
Ziziphus mauritiana is
a spiny, evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m high, with trunk 40
cm or more in diameter; spreading crown; stipular spines and many
drooping branches. Bark dark grey or dull black, irregularly fissured.
Where climatic conditions are severe, it is commonly a compact shrub
only 3-4 m tall.
Leaves variable, alternate, in 2 rows,
oblong-elliptic, 2.5-6 x 1.5-5 cm, with tip rounded or slightly notched
base; finely wavy-toothed on edges, shiny green and hairless above;
dense, whitish, soft hairs underneath.
Inflorescence axillary
cymes, 1-2 cm long, with 7-20 flowers; peduncles 2- 3 mm long; flowers
2-3 mm across, greenish-yellow, faintly fragrant; pedicels 3-8 mm long;
calyx with 5 deltoid lobes, hairy outside, glabrous within; petals 5,
subspathulate, concave, reflexed.
Fruit a drupe, globose to
ovoid, up to 6 x 4 cm in cultivation, usually much smaller when wild;
skin smooth or rough, glossy, thin but tough, yellowish to reddish or
blackish; flesh white, crisp, juicy, subacid to sweet, becoming mealy
in fully ripe fruits. Seed a tuberculate and irregularly furrowed
stone, containing 1-2 elliptic brown kernels each 6 mm long.
The
name ‘Ziziphus’ is often erroneously written as Zizyphus.
The generic name is derived from the latinized version of the Arabic
vernacular name ‘zizouf’ for Z. jujuba.
Biology
Some
cultivars attain anthesis early in the morning, others do so later in
the day. The flowers are protandrous. Hence, fruit set depends on
crosspollination by insects attracted by the fragrance and nectar. The
pollen of the flower is described as ‘heavy and thick’. In
India, different species of honeybees (Apis spp.) and house flies (Musca domestica) are reported to be important pollinators; the wasps Polistes hebraceus and Physiphora
spp. have also been observed on flowers. Cross-incompatibility occurs,
and cultivars have to be matched for good fruit set; some cultivars
produce good crops parthenocarpically. Fruit development takes 4 months
in early cultivars to 6 months in late ones. In Southeast Asia, Z. mauritiana flowers concurrently with shoot growth in the wet season. Mammals and birds disperse the fruits.
Ecology
Z. mauritiana
is a hardy tree that copes with extreme temperatures and thrives under
rather dry conditions. Fruit quality is best under hot, sunny and dry
conditions, but there should be a rainy season to support extension
growth and flowering, ideally leaving enough residual soil moisture to
carry the fruit to maturity. Commercial cultivation usually extends up
to 1000 m. Beyond this elevation trees do not perform well, and
cultivation becomes less economical. Native to the tropical and
subtropical regions, Z. mauritiana
is more widespread in areas with an annual rainfall of 300-500 mm. It
is known for its ability to withstand adverse conditions, such as
salinity, drought and waterlogging.
Biophysical Limits
Altitude: 0-1 500 m, Mean annual temperature: 7-13 to 37-48 deg. C, Mean annual rainfall: 120-2 200 mm
Soil
type: Best soils are sandy loam which may be neutral or even slightly
alkaline. Can grow on a variety of soils including laterite, black
cotton and oolitic limestone.
Documented Species Distribution
Native:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Nepal,
Pakistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam
Exotic: Angola, Barbados, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad,
Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia,
Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South
Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The
map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does
neither suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological
zone within that country, nor that the species can not be planted in
other countries than those depicted. Since some tree species are
invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to your
planting site.
Products
Food:
Fruit is eaten fresh or dried and can be made into a floury meal,
butter, or a cheeselike paste, used as a condiment. Also used for candy
making and pickling. The fruit is a good source of carotene, vitamins A
and C, and fatty oils. A refreshing drink is prepared by macerating
fruits in water. In Indonesia, young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
Fodder: In parts of India and North Africa, the leaves of Z. mauritiana
are used as nutritious fodder for sheep and goats. Analysis of the
chemicals constituents on a dry weight basis indicates the leaves
contain 15.4% crude protein, 15.8% crude fibre, 6.7% total minerals,
and 16.8% starch. In India, the leaves are also gathered to feed tasar
silkworms; tasar silk, highly prized, is the only silk commercially
exploited in the tropics.
Fuel: Z. mauritiana
produces excellent firewood (sapwood has 4900 kcals/kg) and good
charcoal. Its drooping branches are easily accessible for harvesting.
Apiculture: When in bloom it is ocassionally a source of pollen, at best a minor one.
Timber: Z. mauritiana
yields a medium-weight to heavy hardwood with a density of 535-1080
kg/m³. Heartwood is buffcoloured, pale red or brown to dark brown,
sometimes banded or with dark streaks, not sharply demarcated from pale
brown sapwood; grain straight, occasionally wavy; texture fine to
coarse; wood fairly lustrous. It seasons well but may split slightly
during seasoning; easy to work and takes a high finish. It is hard and
strong. The wood is used for general construction, furniture and
cabinet work, tool handles, agricultural implements, tent pegs, golf
clubs, gun stocks, sandals, yokes, harrows, toys, turnery, household
utensils, bowling pins, baseball bats, chisels and packaging. It is
also suitable for the production of veneer and plywood. Basically, any
product that needs a durable, close-grained wood can be made from it.
Tannin or dyestuff:
The bark, including the root bark, has served in tanning; when pounded
and mashed in water, it yields brown and grey or reddish dyes.
Poison: Z. mauritiana is used to stupefy fish in Ethiopia.
Medicine:
Leaves, fruits and bark are used medicinally. Pounded roots are added
to drinking water and given to poultry suffering from diarrhoea and to
humans for indigestion.
Alcohol: A raw, intoxicating spirit is occasionally distilled from the fermented fruit pulp.
Other products: In India, Z. mauritiana trees are a host for the lac insects, Kerria lacca,
which are found on the leaves and make an orange-red resinous
substance. The purified resin makes the high-quality ber shellac that
is used in fine lacquer work and to produce sealing wax and varnish.
Services
Erosion control: A suitable species to aid in fixation of coastal dune sand.
Shade or shelter: The tree has been planted for shade and windbreaks.
Reclamation: Can withstand severe heat, frost and drought; hence it is planted in dry areas and on sites unfit for other crops.
Ornamental: Z. mauritiana is well suited for homegardens.
Boundary or barrier or support: Tree useful as a living fence; its spiny stems and branches deter livestock.
Tree Management
Z. mauritiana
is a fast-growing species. Under favourable conditions, height
increment on loose soil is 75 cm in 1 year and 1.2 m in 2 years; growth
is stragglier by the 3rd season, when under similar growth conditions
plants are thick and bushy, up to 1.5 m high. Growth is poor under
natural conditions, 5-8 cm high after 1st season and 17-35 cm after 2nd
season; Z. mauritiana coppices well and grows vigorously from stumps and root suckers. Fruiting starts after 3-5 years and is usually very abundant.
Germplasm Management
Orthodox
storage behaviour, viability maintained for 2 years in hermetic air-dry
storage at 5 deg. C. The germination rate increases during the 1st year
of storage. The cleaned stones can be kept for 5 years in sealed
containers, although during this period the viability drops from 95% to
30%. Z. mauritiana has 3300 pyrenes/kg.
Pests and Diseases
Fruit
flies are a major cause of crop losses, the insects unfortunately
having a preference for the same cultivars as humans. Damage by
fruit-borers, leaf-eating caterpillars, weevils, leafhoppers and mealy
bugs has also been reported. Insect pests include Meridarchis scyrodes, Oocussida cruenta, Myllocerus spp., Thiacidas postica, Drepanococcus chiton, Florithirps tregardhi and Systasis
spp. Powdery mildew can be so serious that leaves and fruitlets drop,
but it can be adequately controlled. Lesser diseases are sooty mould,
brown rot and leaf-spot.
Further Reading
Anon. 1986. The useful plants of India. Publications & Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, India.
Beentje HJ. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya.
Bekele-Tesemma
A, Birnie A, Tengnas B. 1993. Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia.
Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Swedish International
Development Authority (SIDA).
Birnie A. 1997. What tree is that? A beginner's guide to 40 trees in Kenya. Jacaranda designs Ltd.
Booth
FEM, Wickens GE. 1988. Non-timber uses of selected arid zone trees and
shrubs in Africa. FAO Conservation Guide. No. 19. Rome.
Coates-Palgrave K. 1988. Trees of southern Africa. C.S. Struik Publishers Cape Town.
Dale IR, Greenway PJ. 1961. Kenya trees and shrubs. Buchanan’s Kenya Estates Ltd.
Eggeling. 1940. Indigenous trees of Uganda. Govt. of Uganda.
Hocking D. 1993. Trees for Drylands. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. New Delhi.
Hong TD, Linington S, Ellis RH. 1996. Seed storage behaviour: a compendium. Handbooks for Genebanks: No. 4. IPGRI.
ICRAF.
1992. A selection of useful trees and shrubs for Kenya: Notes on their
identification, propagation and management for use by farming and
pastoral communities. ICRAF.
Jackson JK. 1987. Manual of afforestation in Nepal. Department of Forestry, Kathmandu.
Jothi
BD, Tandon PL. 1995. Present status of insect pests of ber in Karnataka
current research. University of Agricultural Sciences, (Banglore).
24:153-155.
Kokwaro JO. 1976. Medicinal plants of East Africa. East African Literature Bureau.
Little
EL, Wadsworth FH. 1964. Common trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands. Agricultural Handbook. No. 249. US Department of Agriculture.
Washington DC.
Mbuya LP et al. 1994. Useful trees and shrubs for
Tanzania: Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural
and Pastoral Communities. Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU),
Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).
Noad T, Birnie A. 1989. Trees of Kenya. General Printers, Nairobi.
Parkash
R, Hocking D. 1986. Some favourite trees for fuel and fodder. Society
for promotion of wastelands development, New Delhi, India.
Perry LM. 1980. Medicinal plants of East and South East Asia : attributed properties and uses. MIT Press. South East Asia.
Peter G von Carlowitz.1991. Multipurpose Trees and Shrubs-Sources of Seeds and Innoculants. ICRAF. Nairobi, Kenya.
Schomburg
A, Mhango J, Akinnifesi FK. 2001. Marketing of masuku uapaca kirkiana
and masawo Ziziphus mauritiana fruits and their potential for
processing by rural communities in southern Malawi: Proceeding of the
14th southern Africa regional review and planning workshop, 3-7th
September 2001, Harare, Zimbabwe. p.169-176.
Singh RV. 1982. Fodder trees of India. Oxford & IBH Co. New Delhi, India.
Sosef
MSM, Hong LT, Prawirohatmodjo S. (eds.). 1998. PROSEA 5(3) Timber
trees: lesser known species. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Tembo L,
Chiteka ZA, Kadzere I, Akinnifesi FK, Tagwira F. 2008. Blanching and
drying period affect moisture loss and vitamin C content in Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.: African Journal of Biotechnology. 7(8):3100-3106.
Tembo L, Chiteka ZA, Kadzere I, Akinnifesi FK, Tagwira F. 2008. Storage temperature affects fruit quality attributes of Ber Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. in Zimbabwe: African Journal of Biotechnology. 7(8):3092-3099.
Verheij
EWM, Coronel RE (eds.). 1991. Plant Resources of South East Asia No 2.
Edible fruits and nuts. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Vimal OP, Tyagi PD. Fuelwood from wastelands. Yatan Publications, New Delhi, India.
Vogt
K. 1995. A field guide to the identification, propagation and uses of
common trees and shrubs of dryland Sudan. SOS Sahel International (UK).
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