Ziziphus lotus
Ziziphus lotus is a deciduous shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, including the Sahara in Morocco and also Somalia. It is one of several species called "jujube", and is closely related to Z. jujuba, the true jujube.Description
Ziziphus lotus can reach a height of, with shiny green leaves about 5 cm long. The edible fruit is a globose dark yellow drupe 1–1.5 cm diameter.Cultural and religious references
Ziziphus lotus is often regarded as the lotus tree of Greek mythology. It is thought to be referenced in the Odyssey, consumed by the Lotus-Eaters as a narcotic to induce peaceful apathy.
A sacred lotus tree planted near the temple of Vulcan in Rome was said to have been planted by Romulus, who is said to have been a contemporary of the composer of the Odyssey ; it was still standing some 700 years later, in the time of Pliny the Elder.
In Arabic-speaking regions the Ziziphus lotus and alternatively the jujube are closely associated with the lote-trees which are mentioned in the Quran, while in Palestine it is rather the Ziziphus spina-christi that is called sidr. Elsewhere in the Arab world the European and Chinese jujubes are also associated with the Lote-trees.
The 19th century English explorer, Richard Francis Burton reported seeing an ancient sidr tree in the mosque containing the Prophet Muhammad's tomb in Medina. It was in a garden dedicated to the prophet's daughter, Fatimah. The fruit from the tree was being sold to pilgrims and its leaves used for washing dead bodies.
