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Berlandier wolfberry, Berlandier's wolfberry

box thorn, goji berry, Matrimony-vine

Habit Shrubs erect, 0.7–2.5 m; bark tan to gray to reddish or almost black; stems glabrous or pubescent. Shrubs erect, 0.8–3 m; bark silvery tan; stems glabrous.
Leaves

blade linear to spatulate, 1.5–15 × 1–4.5 mm, surfaces glabrous.

blade lanceolate to oblong, 20–60 × 3–35 mm, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.

2–4-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.

Pedicels

3–20 mm.

10–20 mm.

Flowers

4–5-merous;

calyx cupulate, 1–3 mm, lobe lengths 0.3 times tube;

corolla white to pale lavender, tubular to funnelform, 4–9 mm, lobe lengths 0.17–0.3 times tube;

stamens included to exserted.

4–6-merous;

calyx campanulate, often 2-lobed, 3–5 mm, lobes 1–2 mm;

corolla lavender to purple, funnelform, 8–13 mm, lobe lengths 0.5–1 times tube;

stamens exserted.

Berries

orange to red, globose, 5 mm, fleshy.

red or orange-yellow, ovoid, 4–20 mm, fleshy.

Seeds

50+.

4–20.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Lycium berlandieri

Lycium barbarum

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Mar–Oct.
Habitat Desert washes, rocky slopes, flats (Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts). Waste places, roadsides, fields.
Elevation 300–900 m. (1000–3000 ft.) 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
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from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; NS; ON; QC; SK; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Eurasia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Within the flora area, Lycium berlandieri occurs in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; it has been reported from western Oklahoma (Harmon and Jackson counties).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Lycium barbarum is naturalized across North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. It is commonly cultivated in northern China, especially in Ningxia province. The plants have uses from medicinal to tea and wine. See discussion of 15. L. chinense for confusion between these two introduced species, especially in the flora area.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Lycium Solanaceae > Lycium
Sibling taxa
L. andersonii, L. barbarum, L. brevipes, L. californicum, L. carolinianum, L. chinense, L. cooperi, L. exsertum, L. ferocissimum, L. fremontii, L. macrodon, L. pallidum, L. parishii, L. puberulum, L. shockleyi, L. texanum, L. torreyi
L. andersonii, L. berlandieri, L. brevipes, L. californicum, L. carolinianum, L. chinense, L. cooperi, L. exsertum, L. ferocissimum, L. fremontii, L. macrodon, L. pallidum, L. parishii, L. puberulum, L. shockleyi, L. texanum, L. torreyi
Synonyms L. berlandieri var. longistylum, L. berlandieri var. parviflorum, L. berlandieri var. peninsulare L. barbarum var. auranticarpum, L. halimifolium
Name authority Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 520. (1852) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 192. (1753)
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