M. Thulin (1999) Rhamnaceae Flora of Somalia 2: 150-156

Plants shrubs or trees, usually spiny, sometimes not so; bark grey to brown, fissured; young branches whitish to straw-coloured. Leaves petiolate; petioles 3-15 mm long; blades elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.5-8.5 cm long, 0.8-5 cm wide, bases symmetric or almost so, margins finely serrulate or crenate, tips acute to rounded, surfaces glabrous or pubescent over the midribs. Inflorescences usually many flowered cymes, Flowers finely pubescent, yellowish green; sepals 1.5-2 mm long; petals about 1.5 mm long. Drupes 8-15 mm in diameter, yellow to red.

Ziziphus spina-christi  grows in wasteland and bushland, often along wadis, at 50-730 m. It is native from Mauritania to Pakistan and is known from regions N1-3, C1, S1, S2 of the Flora of of Somalia. It is widespread in northern and northeastern Africa plus the Near and Middle East. 

©Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; reproduced with permission.

H. Pickering & A.I. Awale (2018) Introduction to the plants of Central Somaliland

Habit: shrubs or trees to 15 m tall, usually spiny, sometimes not so, with fissured, rey to brown bark.

Leaves elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 1.5-8.5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent over the midrib.

Inflorescences axillary, usually with many flowers.

Flowers about 2 mm long, finely pubescent, yellowish green.

Fruits yellow to red globose drupes 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter. 

Ziziphus spina-christi  grows in wasteland and bushland, often along wadis, at 50-730 m. It is  widespread in northern and northeastern Africa plus the Near and Middle East.

Plants of the World Online (POWO): Ziziphus spina-christi
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): Ziziphus spina-christi. Note: the map may include records from cultivated plants.