Ziziphus jujuba Mill.
Jujube / Bidara bini (Bru.)
Description
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Ecology
Propagation
Distribution
Precaution
Perennial spiny tree or shrub that can reach up to 12 m tall. Leaves are simple, alternately arranged, adaxially glabrous and glossy and abaxially covered with short silvery hairs. Leaf blade is elliptic-ovate to oblong-elliptic, rounded or retuse at apex, oblique at base with toothed margin and pinnate venation. Stems are spreading with drooping branches, dark grey, dull black or reddish and fissured. Twigs are softly covered with hairs and arranged in zig-zag. Inflorescence a cyme arising at leaf axils. Flowers are small, yellowish turning reddish when mature and faintly fragrant. Fruit a globose or ovoid, glossy, reddish- black berry. Seeds are irregularly
The whole plant is boiled with Nigella sativa (fennel flowers, black cumin) and Allium cepa (onion). The resultant decoction is taken orally to relieve gastric pains, abnormal physical and mental disorders such as Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder which are locally known as ‘Uri’. The herb may also be mixed with other herbs such as Hedyotis diffusa (Ruman- ruman) and Scoparia dulcis (Pokok delis/Cha
It prefers sandy loamy soil under full sunlight or partial shade. It tolerates drought or occasionally waterlogged soil.
Spores and rhizome division.
Distributed in Sri Lanka and southern China throughout Southeast Asia to north-eastern Australia, Vanuatu and
None