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Jujube
Ziziphus jujuba
ナツメ
A deciduous small tree native to China. The fruits have been valued for food and medicine since ancient times, and it is also planted as a garden tree in Japan. Elliptical fruits ripen red in autumn.
Identification Points
- ✓Short paired thorns on branches
- ✓Leaves ovate to oblong with 3 prominent main veins
- ✓Elliptical fruits turning reddish-brown when ripe
Habitat
Cultivated (gardens and orchards); occasionally escaped to dry mountain sites
Season
June–July (flowers), September–October (fruits)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Round
Habitat
Cultivated
Leaf type
Simple
Petal fusion
Fused
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionクロウメモドキ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Rosids > Rosales > Rhamnaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (approx. 80 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Rhamnaceae includes species that form symbioses with nitrogen-fixing root nodule bacteria. Thorns are considered modified leaves and developed as defense structures against herbivores.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification