lotus tree

noun

: any of several trees reputed to have furnished the lotus mentioned by the ancients: such as

a

: a shrubby deciduous jujube tree (Ziziphus lotus) of the Mediterranean region that produces small yellow fruits

b

: a tall nettle tree (Celtis australis) of the same region that somewhat resembles a beech but produces a small sweet globose fruit

c

: an Asiatic persimmon (Diospyros lotus) that is sometimes cultivated for its small rounded yellow or purplish fruits

also : the common American persimmon (D. virginiana)

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