Salvadora persica or the toothbrush tree is a small evergreen tree. Regional common names include arak, jhal, and mustard tree.[
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The tree is native from the Middle East and North Africa to India.[
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Description
Salvadora persica is a small tree or shrub with a crooked trunk,[ Its bark is scabrous and cracked, whitish with pendulous extremities. The root bark of the tree is similar in colour to sand, and the inner surfaces are an even lighter shade of brown. It has a pleasant fragrance, of cress or mustard, as well as a warm and pungent taste.][
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The tree produces small red edible fruits, juicy but pungent, in clusters, and its dark green leaves are round and fleshy.[
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Etymology and common names
The genus was named by the French botanist, Laurent Garcin, in 1749 after a Spanish apothecary, Juan Salvador y Bosca.[ The type specimen was collected in Persia, giving the species name persica.]
Salvadora persica is commonly known as toothbrush tree or mustard tree, and has various other names in different languages, such as arak and jhal.[
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Distribution and ecology
The plant is native to the Middle East, North Africa, and India,[ It has high Halophyte and can tolerate as little as or less of mean annual rainfall, but it prefers ready access to groundwater.][
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History and use
Salvadora persica stick, widely known as miswak, is used for teeth cleaning throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Iranian Plateau, and wider Muslim world.[World Health Organization. Prevention of oral diseases. WHO offset publication No. 103. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1987. p. 61.]
The fresh leaves can be eaten as part of a salad and are used in traditional medicine.[
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As of 2009, Botanic Gardens Conservation International has a total of eight Salvadora persica plants in conservation.
See also
External links
