Shir-khecht shrub
Atraphaxis spinosa
Family: Polygonaceae
What it is like
A shrub. It grows up to 1 m high. The stems are slender. The woody branches are slender and without leaves at the end. There is a spine at the point. The leaves are grey-green are round or oval. They are 3-7 mm long by 3-5 mm wide. They are leathery. There are 2-6 flowers in the axils of current year's growth.
It contains several flavenoids.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in deserts. It grows between 400-1,800 m above sea level in northern China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Arabia, Asia, Central Asia, China, Egypt, Europe, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, North Africa, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
How it is used for food
It produces a sweet manna like substance that is eaten.
Edible parts
Manna
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Ci mu liao