Salvadora persica

Description

Salvadora persica is a small tree or shrub with a crooked trunk, typically 6-7 m in height. 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.

The tree produces small red edible fruits, juicy but pungent, in clusters, and its dark green leaves are round and fleshy.

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.

Distribution and ecology

The plant is native to the Middle East, North Africa, and India, and is found on desert floodplains, riverbanks, and grassy savannahs. It has high tolerance for salty soils and can tolerate as little as 200 mm or less of mean annual rainfall, but it prefers ready access to groundwater.

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.

The fresh leaves can be eaten as part of a salad and are used in traditional medicine. The flowers are small and fragrant and are used as a stimulant and are mildly purgative. The berries are small and barely noticeable; they are eaten both fresh and dried. The wood can be used for charcoal and firewood. In Namibia, the mustard bush is used as drought-resistant fodder for cattle. The seeds can be used to extract a detergent oil.

As of 2009, Botanic Gardens Conservation International has a total of eight Salvadora persica plants in conservation.

References

References

1. (2025). "''Salvadora persica''". Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide, [[World Agroforestry Centre]].
2. (1999). "Miswak (chewing Stick): A Cultural And Scientific Heritage.". Saudi Dental Journal.
3. Rothauge, Axel. (25 February 2014). "Staying afloat during a drought". [[The Namibian]].
4. World Health Organization. Prevention of oral diseases. WHO offset publication No. 103. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1987. p. 61.
5. (2025). "''Salvadora persica''". Botanic Gardens Conservation International.