Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
Christ's thorn
Family Name:
Rhamnaceae
Botanical Name:
Paliurus spina-christi
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The P. spina-christi is a shrub or sometimes a tall tree. It can grow to heights of 65 feet. Its bark is light-grey, very cracked, scaly, and its trunk is twisted (2). The leaves are oval and pointed at the tips. They are hairless on the upper surface, with small fine hairs on the underside (1). Flowers are small and greenish-yellow. Fruits are about 1 cm in diameter, red-brown in color, fleshy, and sweet, with a hard stone in the center (1, 2).
Compound:
Pal spi
Geographic Origin:
Africa
Ecozone Origin:
Afrotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Christ’s thorn is native to various areas in West and North Africa and the Middle East (1).
Cultivation Notes:
This species is drought hardy, very resistant to the heat, frost tender, and highly adaptable to desert or semi-desert soils. Christ’s thorn enhances the method of many improvement programs for reducing windbreaks, sand dune fixation, and reforestation of dry lands. This species has long and deep taproots for stabilization in poor soils (1). In Sudan, Christ’s thorn can be planted near various cereals for better protection against runoffs. This species is propagated by bare-rooted seedlings and cuttings (1).
Ethnobotany:
Christ’s thorn can be used for various resources for humans and animals. The most common uses for this species are medicine, erosion control, food, and timber (1). The fruits can be harvested and made into bread or dressings (3). In the Sahel region, the leaves from the Christ’s thorns are be boiled and used to treat wounds. The roots are used to treat headaches. The spines are applied to snake bites (1). Christ's thorn also produces phosphorous, which improves the quality of the soil.
Height:
50 - 100 feet
Width:
Growth Rate:
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Color:
Green
Function:
Spread:
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
[1. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/products/afdbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18002 referenced on 12/6/2012]
[2.http://www.arkive.org/christs-thorn/ziziphus-spina-christi/image-G66074.html referenced on 12/7/2012]
[3.http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/1/1/8 referenced on 12/7/2012]
