**2. Biology**

The other names of jojoba are hohoba, coffee berry, goat nut, deer nut, pig nut, coffee bush and lemon leaf. The first taxonomic status of this species appeared in 1822, when Johann Link named it as *Buxus chinensis* but later in 1844, it was changed to *Simmondsia californica* by Thomas Nuttall. In 1912, the Austrian botanist, Camillo Karl Schneider, renamed it as *S. chinensis* [7]. In 1897, a European botanist, Van Tieghem, proposed the creation of a new family *Simmondsiaceae*, with *Simmondsia* being the only genus containing a single species. According to the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature, the specific name *chinensis* had first been given to jojoba that became *S. chinensis* (Link) Schneider [8].

The plant of jojoba is leafy, xerophytic, woody evergreen, dioecious in nature with small multi-stemmed that grows to a height of 0.5–1 m in the wild, occasionally to 6 m tall with taproots to 12 m long (**Figure 1a**, **b**). The natural life span appears to be over 100 years and may exceed 200 years [7].

Leaves are simple, opposite, pale green or yellowish green, oblong-ovate, rounded at both ends and leathery. The leaf apparently lives for two to three seasons, depending on moisture and shade conditions. They are 2.5 to 3.5 cm long, 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide and contain special tissue with a high concentration of phenol compounds [7].

Flowers are apetalous, unisexual and dioecious in nature. The flowers are pollinated by wind. The male flowers are yellow, larger, and occur in clusters with 10–12 stamens per flower while female flowers are small, usually solitary in the axils or in clusters at the nodes, pale green with 5 greenish sepals, soft and hairy (**Figure 1c**, **d**) [9].

It has also been reported that male plants have a smaller canopy than female plants. Plant has growing buds at axils position, actively grows and developing into a flower in the blooming season. It was noticed that these flowers buds developed at every second or third nodal position of the stem. Further, these nodal buds differentiated and grow into flowers [10].

The plant has a tap-root system. The root of mature plants can be 15–25 m below the soil surface, with substantial parallel laterals and secondary roots, giving an ability to draw moisture from the soil. Thus, allowing the plants to survive and grow where most of the other plants wither and die [11].

**Figure 1.** *Morphological characteristics of male, female, fruit and seeds S. chinensis (a) S. chinensis shrub (6 months) (b) mature plant (c) female flower (d) male flowers (e) immature seed (f) mature seeds.*

Fruit is a green and smooth cylindrical capsule of about 2 cm length, somewhat resembling an acorn shape. The calyx of flowers is persisting with dehiscent nature and contains ovules (1–3) attached to the placenta of capsule. The capsule develops in three months and matures in five to six months. Finally, capsule splits and seeds drop outs through three sutures [8].

Seeds are peanut or acorn shaped, with a small pointed apex, and flattened base (**Figure 1e**, **f**). The color of seed is dark brown to black with smooth texture and 1–2.5 cm in long. The weight of one hundred seed can vary from 40 to 80 gm, occasionally much higher, but it is more constant for seeds from wild plants in a specific location [7].

In desert regions, plants used for revegetation as it can survive as harsh arid environmental conditions as in Rajasthan, India. The jojoba plant has potential as a soil-stabilizing nature due to its low nutrient requirements, deep root system, drought resistant, longevity and low susceptibility to fire. Jojoba is a potentially valuable industrial plant species for the control of desertification [6]. As properties oil of jojoba is same as oil of sperm whale. Therefore, more production of jojoba oil has been considerably reduced the prey of sperm whale which is now a endangered aquatic animal. The cultivation of one hectare jojoba produced oil is equal to oil derived from 124 sperm whales. Moreover, the intercropping of jojoba crop in desert land played a role of eco-friendly nature and combating desertification process [8].
