What is Ziziphus tree?
What is Ziziphus tree?
Ziziphus /ˈzɪzɪfəs/ is a genus of about 40 species of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, distributed in the warm-temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world.
What is Ziziphus used for?
Overview. Zizyphus is a shrub or small tree. The fruit is used to make medicine. Zizyphus is used for improving muscular strength and weight, for preventing liver diseases and stress ulcers, and as a sedative.
Why is it called buffalo thorn?
It is also known as the blinkblaar wag-‘n-bietjie meaning ‘shiny leaf wait a while’. Its name refers to the difficulty of removing the complex thorns, once hooked.
What is mokgalo?
Mokgalo is one of the Setswana names for Ziziphus mucronata Willd. Ziziphus mucronata is a small tomedium-sized tree, 3-10m high, with a spreading canopy. The leaves are simple, alternate, ovate or broadly ovate and may vary enormously in size from tree to tree. The leaf tips taper and are often ‘mucronate’ at the tip.
What are the uses of Ziziphus mauritiana plant other than medicinal uses?
Over the course of many years, various parts of Ziziphus mauritiana has been found to possess hair growth stimulating, anti-platelet aggregating, anti-inflammation, wound-healing, anti-obesity, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects.
What animals eat buffalo thorn?
The buffalo thorn is a valuable feed resource for wild animal species. Its fruits are relished by birds, baboons, monkeys, warthogs, bushpigs (Potamochoerus larvatus), etc.
What is the Afrikaans and isiZulu names of the Ziziphus Mucronata?
Buffalo thorn, Ziziphus mucronata, is the 2017 Tree of the Year. The isiZulu name – umlahlankosi – means ‘lay the chief to rest’; and the Afrikaans name is “blinkblaar-wag-‘n-bietjie.” It belongs to the Raisin bush family of plants (Rhamnaceae).
What is umLahlankosi English?
The buffalo thorn is a multipurpose tree of considerable cultural importance in Eastern and Southern Africa, and many beliefs and traditions are attached to it (Mazibuko, 2007). Its Zulu name umLahlankosi means “which buries the chief”. In Botswana, the tree is believed to protect from lightning (Mazibuko, 2007).
How big does a Ziziphus mucronata tree get?
Ziziphus mucronata is a small to medium-sized tree, 3-10(-20) m high; with a spreading canopy. The main stem is green and hairy when young; year old branches often zigzag; the bark is reddish brown or roughly mottled grey, cracked into small rectangular blocks, revealing a red and stringy under-surface. Young stems are reddish brown.
What kind of animals eat Ziziphus mucronata fruit?
Although the fruit of Ziziphus mucronata cannot be counted as very tasty, the tree itself plays an important role ecologically. The leaves and fruit are sought after by birds of many species, wild animals and domestic stock. Giraffes are known to be especially fond of the leaves of this tree.
How many species of Ziziphus tree are there?
Name derivation: Ziziphus – from the Arabic name for a member of this genus. mucronata – pointed: possibly refers to the sharp thorns or leaf apices. There are 6 species in the genus Ziziphus in southern Africa. Conservation: National Status: L C (least concern).
What can you do with the roots of a Ziziphus tree?
Roots have been used to treat snakebite wounds, and a skin purifying steam bath is made from the bark. Tinctures made from the crushed leaves are used against fever, eye infections and diarrhoea. The seeds are sometimes used for rosary beads, and can be roasted, then crushed, and used as a coffee substitute.