RHAMNE.E 309 



A straggling shrub or small tree armed with thorns, 

 which from their position in pairs at the bottom of 

 the petiole are clearly modified stipules (chapter xv). 

 Leaves alternate, petioled, ovate, obtuse, coriaceous, 

 entire or nearly so, green and glabrous above, covered 

 beneath with a dense white or greyish-yellow coloured 

 tomentum of matted branched hairs. Venation pecu- 

 liar, with three main veins from the petiole, the 

 two lateral pinnate with strong branches towards the 

 outside, and more numerous weaker ones on the inside; 

 the centre vein also pinnate, branched strongly beyond 

 the middle. 



Flowers in axillary cymes, greenish-yellow in colour 

 and about i inch across. Sepals five, triangular, 

 valvate in bud, the outer surface very tomentose, the 

 inner smooth and green, with a small ridge. Petals 

 minute alternating with the sepals, very concave. 

 Stamens opposite the petals and each at first enclosed 

 or hidden in one. Within the stamens a yellow lobed 

 glandular disc, from the centre of which rises a 

 minute two-branched style. Ovary below the disc, 

 two-celled with an ovule in each cell. Fruit globose, 

 fleshy with two stones (i.e. a drupe). 



There are several other species of this genus 

 ZIZYPHUS, common in South India. 



Z. CENOPLIA, Mill., has flowers in axillary fascicles 

 (or sessile cymes) like z. JUJUBA, but the leaves 

 are obliquely ovate, lanceolate and acute, with long 

 brown silky hairs on the lower surface. 



Z. XYLOPYRUS, Willd., has its flowers in peduncled, 

 not sessile cymes. The branches inflorescence and 

 fruits are covered with a greyish-white tomentum. 



