Paliurus Mill. (1768), in the family Rhamnaceae, contains 8 species in Europe and Asia.

Description Trees to 7m, or shrubs, sometimes creeping, usually with thorns. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, 3-veined, in 2 rows on an often zig-zag, green twig. The flowers are bisexual, yellowish or greenish, in dense clusters in the leaf axils and on the ends of shoots. Sepals 5; petals 5, shorter than the sepals. Stamens 5. Ovary superior, with 2 or 3 carpels. Pollination is presumed to be by bees and flies. The fruits are 2- or 3-celled, flattened discs, with a wing around the edge and 1 seed in each cell.

Key Recognition Features The 3-nerved leaves in 2 rows and the green, disk-like fruit.

Evolution and Relationships Similar to Ziziphus Mill. in leaf, but that has juicy, edible, cherry-like fruit.

Ecology and Geography On dry hills and in scrub from southeastern Europe eastwards to China, Korea, and Japan.

Comment Paliurus spina-christi Mill., called Christ’s thorn and by tradition used for the crown of thorns at Calvary, is a common feature of dry hills in the eastern Mediterranean. It is sometimes planted as an ornamental, or as a thorny hedge.