Rhamnus pallasii Fischer & Meyer (1837: 46)

Alijanpoor, Behnaz, Khodayari, Hamed, Assadi, Mostafa, Rahiminejad, Mohammadreza & Mehregan, Iraj, 2021, A taxonomic revision of Rhamnus L. and Atadinus Raf. (Rhamnaceae) in Iran, Phytotaxa 521 (3), pp. 127-158 : 134

3. Rhamnus pallasii Fischer & Meyer (1837: 46) .

Description —Trees or shrubs, erect or spreading on rocks and pastures, 20–300 cm high, spiny. Spines simple and branched, alternate to opposite, grey to brown, yellowish brown, or dark grey. Two types of branches: long (spiny) branches ending in spines, buds or flowers at the tip (in flowering), alternate or opposite and short (scaly) branches bearing flowers, fruits or fasciculate leaves at the end (usually scaly branches develop into spines). Leaves polymorphic (spathulate, elliptic and rhomboid, elliptic, lanceolate and oblanceolate) or unequal, 5–30 × 1–15 mm, with 4–12(–18) pairs teeth in margin and equall with margin glands; base of leaves cuneate, narrow cuneate or roundish; apex of leaves obtuse or acute; lateral nerves almost straight or curved, 2–6(–7) pairs, inconspicuous or conspicuous, alternate to opposite; petioles 1–6 mm long, almost pubescent. Inflorescence fasciculate to single flowered. Flowers 4- merous, unisexual or polygamous on leaves axis, 2–5 mm long; calyx campanulate, acute, 2–3 mm long with three veins, almost glandular; petals very small, filiform to broad, opposite to filaments, anthers basifixed; disk very small; ovary with 1–3 locular and with 1–3 styls. Fruits a fleshy glabrous drupe, spherical, oblong or triangular in outine, mature fruits black, immature green, yellow, green-red, greenish yellow or red, 3–5 mm long, with 1–3 seeds and 1–3 opened or closed furrowrs. Seeds almost 3–4 mm, elliptic, spherical or oval, cream, with one split.