Christ's thorn, Crown of Thorns
Ziziphus spina-christi

Family: Rhamnaceae

What it is like

A shrub or a tree. In desert places it grows 2 m high. It can grow to 15-20 m high. The trunk is 50 cm across. It is prickly or thorny. The leaves are oval and alternate. There are 3 almost parallel veins easily seen underneath the leaf. The flower stalks are hairy. The flowers are 2-4 mm across. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves near the ends of branches. The fruit is small and orange or red. They are oblong. They are 13-18 mm across. The fruit are edible.

Chemical composition (after Berry-Koch) (per 100g) (fruit, dried): Protein = 4.8g. Fat = .9g. Calcium = 140mg. Fe = 3.0mg. Vitamin B1 = .04mg. Vitamin B2 = .13mg. Niacin = 3.7mg. Vitamin C = 30mg. Chemical composition (after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 5.6% (dry). Fat = 2.1% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 4.4% (dry). Fibre (crude) (dry) = 4.1%(dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 21.8% (dry). Sugars: Sucrose = 21.8% (dry). D-glucose = 9.6% (dry). D- fructose = 16.0% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 15.1g. Threonine = 2.2g. Serine = 3.9g. Glutamic acid = 17.6g. Proline = 5.3g. Glycine = 3.1g. Alanine = 3.4g. Valine = 3.1g. Cysteine = 0.5g. Methionine = 0.4g. Isoleucine = 2.3g. Leucine = 3.9g. Tyrosine = 1.8g. Phenylalanine = 2.2g. Lysine = 2.3g. Histidine = 0.9g. Arginine = 3.4g. Sulphur 0.04% (dry). Potassium = 0.13% (dry). Magnesium = 0.12% (dry). Calcium = 0.61% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.91% (dry). Zinc = 9mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 20mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 13mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 5mg/kg-1 (dry).

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in very dry plains and hill slopes. It grows in the Sahel in watercourses that occasionally get flooded. It grows in areas that have a rainfall between 50-300 mm per year. It can grow in arid places. It is highly salt tolerant. In Ethiopia it grows up to 2,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Egypt - Sinai, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Reunion, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UAE, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The pulp of the fruit is dried and milled into flour. It is then cooked with steam. The fruit are also eaten raw. The kernel of the seeds is eaten raw. The leaves are cooked and eaten as a snack.

Fruit are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

Its other names

Local names

Arka, Bow, Daoom, Dhaood, Elb, Gaudi, Girem, Ilb, Jangali bair, Jangli bair, Karno, Kournahi, Kurkura, Kurna, Kurnahi, Kusira-a, Kusra, Laang, Nabak, Nabaq, Nabbag, Nabik, Nubk tree, Qurqura, Sedr, Serwie, Sidir, Sidr, Syrian thorn tree, Yuyuba

Synonyms

Ziziphus amphibia A. Chev.; Ziziphus africana Mill.; Ziziphus sphaerocarpa Tul.; Rhamnus spina-christi L.;