ZIZYPHUS, a genus of the family Mums nacea, shrubs or small trees, with spiny stip ules, alternate three-nerved leaves, a spreading five-cleft calyx, five hood-like petals, five sta mens, a five-angled disc, adhering to the tube of the calyx, and having enclosed within it the two- or three-celled ovary. Fruit a drupe, which is sometimes edible and has a large stone or kernel containing from one to eral flattened seeds. Zizyphus is widely dis tributed, but is chiefly indigenous to tropical Asia and America. The fruits of the culti vated Z. jujuba, and of Z. saliva, are of the size and shape of a small, oval plum. They ripen in September when they are gathered and stored in a dry place, the pulp becoming sweeter by the process. They have a dark red skin, but are yellow within. If carefuh dried, these fruits, called jujubes, will keep for a long time, and retain their acid flavor, which has made them a refreshing dessert fruit, in the Mediterranean countries and in ()lira. They are nutritive and demulcent, a cough medicine having been prepared from them and formerly the sweet-meat known as jnju"e paste was made from the evaporated juice of jujube, and of gum-arabic; but now the jujte.e is displaced by the gum and by gelatine. Z
saliva is a handsome arborescent shrub, with small, varnished, oval leaves and greenish in conspicuous flowers, succeeded by the bright drupes. It is sometimes cultivated in the United States, being hardy as far north as Washington. The hark, in its native countries. was used medicinally, for fever and for sores: and it is also employed for tanning and foe a dve-stuff like that of Z. xylopyea vn: it yields a black dye. Various parts of other species yield medicines, and the edible frai:s of Z. baclei of Africa are used for a pleasant drink and are also made into bread Z. la tit is by some believed to be the lotus-trees the fruit of which produced such indolence to those who ate them. It grows in Bailors.
where it is called sadr. Z. spasachristi is a small, prickly tree, which is reputed to have composed arises crown of thorns. Like other spiny species of Ziopkva, this is a good bedge plant. Z. Runway/aria of Persia and India is one of the camel's thorns, whose foliage forms a fodder, and which has edible fruits. The cog-wood of Jamaica, an im portant timber tree, is Z. chloroxylos.