About Paliurus spina-christi Mill.
Paliurus spina-christi Mill. is a deciduous shrub or small tree that reaches 3–4 meters in height. Its shoots grow in a zig-zag pattern, with one leaf and two stipular spines—one straight and one curved—borne on the outside of each zig-zag kink. The leaves are oval, measure 2–5 cm long and 1–4 cm broad, have a glossy green appearance, and feature an entire margin. Its fruit is a dry, woody nutlet, surrounded by a circular wing that is 2–3.5 cm in diameter. As an ornamental plant, it is grown as a curiosity for its unusual discus-shaped fruit. It is cultivated in some regions outside its native range, including western Europe as far north as Great Britain. It has also become locally naturalised in northwestern Africa, northern India, Hungary, and the U.S. state of Texas.
