Z. vulgaris is a tree about 20 feet high, extensively cultivated in many parts of southern Europe, Asia, Spain, the south of France, and Italy, also in western Asia, China, and Japan. In India it extends from the Punjab to the western frontier, ascending in the Punjab Himalaya to a height of 6500 feet, and is found both iu the wild and cultivated state. The plant is grown almost exclusively for the sake of its fruit, which both in size and shape resembles a moderate sized plum; at first the fruits are green, but as they ripen they become of a reddish-brown colour on the outside and yellow within. They ripen in September, when they are gathered and preserved by storing in a dry place; after a time the pulp becomes much softer and sweeter than when fresh. Jujube fruits when carefully dried will keep for a long time, and retain their agreeable refreshing acid flavour, on account of which they are much valued in the countries of the Mediterranean region as a winter dessert fruit; and, besides, they are nutritive and demulcent. At one time a decoction was prepared from them and recommended in pectoral complaints. A kind of thick paste, known as jujube paste, was also made of a composition of gum arabic and sugar dissolved in a decoction of jujube fruit evaporated to the proper consistency. The fruits of the Zizyphus do not enter into the composition of the lozenges now known as jujubes.

The second species of Zizyphus referred to above, viz., Z. Jufuba, is a tree averaging from 30 to 50 feet high, found both wild and cultivated in many parts of the tropics, as in China, Australia, the Malay archipelago, Ceylon, throughout India, and in tropical Africa. Many varieties of this tree are known to and cultivated by the Chinese, who distinguish them by the shape and size of their fruits, which are produced in abundance, and are not only much valued as dessert fruit in China, but are also occasionally exported to England.

As seen in commerce jujube fruits are about the size of a small filbert, having a reddish-brown, shining, somewhat wrinkled exterior, and a yellow or gingerbread coloured pulp enclosing a hard elongated stone.