Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Rhamnus zizyphus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 194 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Zizyphus jujuba Mill.
original Latin diagnosis
Rhamnus aculeis geminatis rectis, floribus digynis, foliis ovato-oblongis.
English translation
Rhamnus with prickles paired [and] straight; with flowers two-carpelled; [and] with leaf blades ovate-oblong.
| Rhamnus | Rhamnus |
| with prickles | aculeis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun aculeus, -i |
| paired | geminatis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective geminatus, -a, -um; modifies aculeis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| straight; | rectis - perfect passive participle, ablative plural masculine of third conjugation verb rego, regere, rexi, rectum; modifies aculeis |
| with flowers | floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris |
| two-carpeled; | digynis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective digynus, -a, -um; modifies floribus |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii |
| ovate-oblong | ovato-oblongis - ovato- (combining form of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um) + oblongis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective oblongus, -a, -um); modifies foliis |