Ziziphus talanae explained

Ziziphus talanae, the balakat, aligamen, or talanai, is a species of tree in the family Rhamnaceae.

Distribution

Ziziphus talanae is endemic to Luzon and Visayas, in the Philippines,^[1] The tree is found in the Philippinean Limestone Forest ecoregion.^[2]

Uses

In Antique Province, its bark is used medicinally for diseases from ringworm to urinary tract infections. Studies have shown that the bark does have antimicrobial properties.^[3]

The city of Mabalacat in Pampanga Province was named after it in 1712, using the indigenous Negrito word mabalacat meaning "forest of balakat."

Notes and References

1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre . 1998 . Ziziphus talanae . 1998 . e.T33326A9776687 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33326A9776687.en . 16 November 2021.
2. Web site: Plant Formations in the Philippinean BioProvince. PDF. Peter Martin Rhind. Terrestrial-biozones.net. 15 March 2022.
3. Anti-Mycobacterium phlei activity of the bark of Ziziphus talanai (Blanco) Merrill . Anas, A. R. J. . Villaseñor, I. M. . Matsuura, H. . Okino, T. . Philippine Agricultural Scientist . 2009 . 92 . 4 . 388–391 . 0031-7454 .