Plants in Israel: Grey leaved saucerberry

Cordia sinensis, Cordia gharaf, Grey leaved saucerberry,
Hebrew: גפנן המדבר, Arabic: السبستان الصيني

Scientific name:   Cordia sinensis Lam.
Synonym name:   Cordia gharaf (Forssk.) Ascherson
Common name:   Grey leaved saucerberry
Hebrew name:   גפנן המדבר
Arabic name:   السبستان الصيني
Plant Family:   Boraginaceae, זיפניים


Life form:   Phanerophyte, tree
Stems:   Multi-stemmed tree 3-12 m high and often with slender branches tending to droop; bark, brown-pale creamy-brown, finely fissured longitudinally, or smooth, dark grey on branches
Leaves:   Opposite, (sub)opposite or alternate, ovate to obovate or broadly, 2-12 x 1-4.5 cm, glabrous or slightly pubescent and often somewhat sandpapery; petiole about 10 mm longwith long pale hairs
Flowers:   White, in terminal cymes
Fruits / pods:   Fruits, conical, bright red or orange when ripe, 7-20 mm long, with conspicuous long tip; hang in clusters; seed 1-4, hard, rough, yellowish cream
Flowering Period:   May, June, July, August, September, October
Habitat:   Thermophilous plants
Distribution:   Semi-steppe shrublands, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Sudanian
Summer shedding:   Perennating


Derivation of the botanical name:

Cordia, for the German botanist and pharmacist Valerius Cordus (1514/1515 – 1544).

sinensis, refers to its Chinese origin.
gharaf, Arabic, غرف gharafa to draw or lift water, غرّاف gharaf, having much water; carafe.

  • The standard author abbreviation Lam. is used to indicate Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744 – 1829), a French botanist
  • The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist and naturalist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Ascherson is used to indicate Paul Friedrich August Ascherson (1834 – 1913), a German botanist.