Ziziphus budhensis
| Ziziphus budhensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Ziziphus |
| Species: | Z. budensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ziziphus budhensis Bhattarai & M.L.Pathak [1] | |
Ziziphus budhensis is a species of plant in the Rhamnaceae family endemic to the Timal region of Kavreplanchok in Central Nepal.[2]
Description
The tree grows to be eight to ten meters tall. It is dimorphic. The sterile branches have longer spines, and the fertile branches have shorter spines or no spines. The alternate leaves are ovate and elliptic. It has white flowers in March and April. It fruits in May through August.[2]
Economic and religious value
Ziziphus budhensis has an edible fruit and the tree is also used as cattle fodder. The seeds are used as beads to make malas (rosaries), known as Bodhichitta malas[3] or Bodhi seed malas, used in Tibetan Buddhist worship. These are highly valued with a mala of 108 beads costing up to 80 thousand Nepalese Rupees.[2] Reportedly the Timal region boasts an annual Buddhachitta trade worth one billion Nepali rupees ($9.8 million) and the beads are being exported from Nepal to India, China, Singapore, Japan, and Korea.[3]
References
- ↑ "Ziziphus budhensis Bhattarai & M.L.Pathak". IPNI . Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- 1 2 3 Bhattarai, Khem Raj; Pathak, Mitra Lal (2015). "A New Species of Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae) from Nepal Himalayas" (PDF). Indian Journal of Plant Sciences (Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech)) 22 (2): 71–77. ISSN 2319-3824. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
- 1 2 Chaudhary, Sanjib (2015-08-06). "Buddha’s Beads Fetch Millions for Farmers in Central Nepal". Global Voices. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
External links
- A New Species of Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae) from Nepal Himalayas
- Buddha’s Beads Fetch Millions for Farmers in Central Nepal