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Sacred Trees

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Ziziphus mauritiana, also known as&nbsp;Indian jujube,Indian plum,&nbsp;Chinese date,[1]&nbsp;Chinee apple,&nbsp;ber&nbsp;and&nbsp;dunks&nbsp;is a&nbsp;tropical&nbsp;fruit tree species belonging to the family&nbsp;Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related&nbsp;Chinese jujube&nbsp;(Z. jujuba), but whereas&nbsp;Z. jujuba&nbsp;prefers temperate climates,&nbsp;Z. mauritiana&nbsp;is tropical to subtropical.

Ziziphus mauritiana&nbsp;is a spiny, evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m high, with trunk 40&nbsp;cm or more in diameter; spreading crown; stipular spines and many drooping branches. The fruit is of variable shape and size. It can be oval, obovate, oblong or round, and can be 1-2.5 in (2.5-6.25&nbsp;cm) long, depending on the variety. The flesh is white and crisp. When slightly underipe, this fruit is a bit juicy and has a pleasant aroma. The fruit&#39;s skin is smooth, glossy, thin but tight.

The species is believed to have originated in&nbsp;Indo-Malaysian&nbsp;region of South and South-East Asia.&nbsp;It is now widely naturalised throughout the&nbsp;Old World&nbsp;tropics from Southern&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;through the&nbsp;Middle East&nbsp;to the&nbsp;Indian Subcontinent&nbsp;and&nbsp;China,&nbsp;Indomalaya, and into&nbsp;Australasia&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Pacific Islands.&nbsp;While the Rhamnaceae family are considered&nbsp;nitrogen fixing trees,&nbsp;Ziziphus mauritiana&nbsp;can form dense stands and become invasive in some areas, including&nbsp;Fiji&nbsp;and Australia, and has become a serious environmental weed in Northern Australia. It is a fast-growing tree with a medium lifespan, that can quickly reach up to 10&ndash;40&nbsp;ft (3 to 12 m) tall.

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