Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba var. inermis; jujube)

Japanese: ナツメ(棗) - ナツメ（英語表記）Zizyphus jujuba var. inermis; jujube

A deciduous shrub or small tree of the Rhamnaceae family. The branches are slender and have long thorns. The leaves are alternate on the twigs and are oblong or egg-lanceolate. In April and May, 2 to 3 pale yellow florets appear in the leaf axils. The fruits are round, oval or egg-shaped, with short stalks and a hard seed. The ripe fruits are dark reddish brown, the flesh is white or pale yellowish brown, sweet and sour, and ripen in September and October. It is a cultivated variety improved from Z. jujuba , which is native to southern Europe and eastern Asia. It has been cultivated in Central Asia and China since before Christ, and is common in the Mediterranean coastal areas. It was recorded in Japan as early as the Nara period, and it seems to have been widely cultivated in the Edo period. It is used in confectionery and cooking, as well as in many Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for diuretics and tonics. There are many cultivated varieties.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

クロウメモドキ科の落葉低木または小高木。枝は細長く長いとげをもつ。葉は小枝に互生し，長楕円形ないし卵状披針形。4～5月，葉腋に2～3個ずつ淡黄色の小花をつける。果実は円形，長円形または卵形で，短い柄をもち，硬い1核がある。熟果は暗赤褐色，果肉は白または淡黄褐色で甘ずっぱく9～10月に熟する。ヨーロッパ南部からアジア東部に原産するサネブトナツメ Z. jujubaから改良された栽培変種である。中央アジアや中国では紀元前より栽培され，地中海沿岸地帯に多い。日本には奈良時代にすでに記録があり，江戸時代には広く栽培されたらしい。生食のほか菓子，料理に用い，また利尿，強壮など多くの漢方処方に配合される。多くの栽培品種がある。

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