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Christ Thorn (Ziziphus spina-christi) is a spiny shrub or small tree growing up to 10 m in height. In moist environments it is an evergreen, but in drier regions it looses all of its leaves during the dry season. The older stems are covered in a greyish-brown coloured bark that becomes rough and grooved with age. Younger branches are yellowish-white in colour, often intertwined, and tend to form an impenetrable thicket. The leaves are alternately arranged along the stems and a pair of spines is present near the base of each leaf. One of these spines is usually shorter and curved, while the other is longer, more slender and straight.
The inconspicuous flowers are small and yellowish-green in colour. They are borne in small clusters of usually 10–25 flowers in the leaf forks. The flower stalks and sepals are covered with whitish-coloured hairs.
Each fruit consists of a large hard stone surrounded in a fleshy pulp and a surface skin. These fruit is 10–20 mm across and turns yellow in colour as they mature and older fruit turn reddish-brown as they dry out (Navie 2004).
For further information and assistance with identification of Christ Thorn contact the herbarium in your state or territory.
Yellow, Green
Tree, Shrub
Christ Thorn is a potential weed of pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, floodplains and inland waterways in semi-arid, tropical and sub-tropical regions (Navie 2004).
Christ Thorn is very similar to Common Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), which has become naturalised in a few locations in Australia. These species are difficult to distinguish but Christ Thorn (Ziziphus spina-christi) fruit are usually yellow in colour when mature, but turn reddish-brown as they dry out. However, the fruit of common jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) are dark reddish-brown when mature, but will turn black as they dry out (Navie 2004).
Agriculture and native ecosystems: Christ Thorn is a potential weed of pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, floodplains and inland waterways in semi-arid, tropical and sub-tropical regions (Navie 2004). Overseas, it can form dense thickets (The State of Queensland 2008)
The fruit from Christ Thorn is one of the most important fruit crops in the dry parts of tropical Asia and Africa and many parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes and animal fodder (Sudhersan & Hussain 2003).
Christ Thorn reproduces entirely by seeds which are held in woody capsules. These seeds may be dispersed by large birds and other animals that eat the fruit (Navie 2004).
Christ Thorn has not yet become naturalised in Australia (Navie 2004).
There are no documented sources on control methods for Christ Thorn.
NO
In the Middle East, Christ Thorn flowers and fruits in autumn (Sudhersan & Hussain 2003).
Not naturalised in any Australian state or territory.
Christ Thorn has not yet become naturalised in Australia (Navie 2004).
Christ Thorn is native to northern Africa and the Middle East (Navie 2004).
NO
QLD, WA
Government weed strategies and lists – Weeds Australia
NO
Government weed strategies and lists – Weeds Australia
NO
Ziziphus spina-christi
Christ's Thorn, Syrian Christ Thorn, Christ-Thorn Jujube, Jujube, Crown Of Thorns Tree
Blackberry the weed (Rubus fruticosus aggregate) was first introduced to Australia by European settlers in the mid-1800s as a fruit. It was recognised as a weed by mid-1880s. Blackberry is a serious issue across Australia. It is estimated that blackberry infests approximately 8.8 million hectares of land at an estimated cost of $103 million in annual control and production losses.
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