Ziziphus

About 40, including:
Ziziphus glabarrima
Ziziphus lotus
Ziziphus mauritanica
Ziziphus spinachristi
Ziziphus zizyphus

Ziziphus is a genus of about 40 species of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, distributed in the warm-temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World. The leaves are alternate, entire, with three prominent basal veins, and 2-7 cm long; some species are deciduous, others evergreen. The flowers are small, inconspicuous yellow-green. The fruit is an edible drupe, yellow-brown, globose or oblong, 1-3 cm long, often very sweet and sugary, reminiscant of a date in texture and flavour.

The Jujube Z. zizyphus is the best known species. Other species include Z. spinachristi from southwest Asia, Z. lotus from the Mediterranean region, and Z. mauretanica from west Africa east to India.

In mythology

The mythological lotus tree is often equated with Z. lotus, though the date is also a possible candidate.