Ziziphus mucronata

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Ziziphus mucronata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Ziziphus
Species: Z. mucronata
Binomial name
Ziziphus mucronata

Ziziphus mucronata, known as the Buffalo Thorn, "blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie" in Afrikaans and "mphasamhala" in Tsonga, is a species in the Rhamnaceae family. This tree is believed to represent life as we know it. Young twigs zigzag indicating that life is full of ups and downs. The two thorns at each node; one hooked and facing backward, and the otherstraight and facing forward, respectively show us where we came from and where we are going.

[edit] Appearance and distribution

The Buffalo Thorn is a small to medium sized tree, reaching a height of about 10m. It can survive in a variety of soil types, occurring in many habitats, mostly open woodlands, often on soils deposited by rivers, and grows frequently on termite mounds. Buffalo thorn is characterized by its unique distinct zigzag branchlets, and viscous hooked and straight thorns.

The bark is a red-brown (on young stems) or roughly mottled grey which is cracked in small rectangular blocks revealing a stringy red under surface.

The fruit are roughly grape size, and ripen into a deep red.

[edit] Uses

Many farmers use the buffalo thorn as a natural fence, it is also becoming more popular for this reason in schools and domestic homes. The leaves are edible, and can be cooked into tasty spinach; the fruit are also very nutritional, though not very tasty. During the Anglo-Boer war the stones were roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee. A beer can be made from the fruit.

The Buffalo Thorn also has medicinal properties, an extract of the roots is given as a painkiller and a solution of the bark and leaves in water is used for chest complaints.

A cultural belief, along with the belief that it represents the path of life, is that it can carry life; if a person died away from his home place, a branch was picked off a Buffalo Thorn and transported to the person and run over the persons body to catch his soul. It was then transported back to the deceased’s home place and his soul could be released. Some people also believe that it is safe to shelter under a buffalo thorn during a thunderstorm, because you will then not be struck by lightning.