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Berlandier wolfberry, Berlandier's wolfberry

Fremont box thorn, Fremont wolfberry, Fremont's desert-thorn, Frémont's desert-thorn

Habit Shrubs erect, 0.7–2.5 m; bark tan to gray to reddish or almost black; stems glabrous or pubescent. Shrubs erect, 1–3 m; bark tan, gray, or brown; stems densely glandular-pubescent.
Leaves

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

blade bright green, spatulate, 8–35 × 2–15 mm, fleshy, surfaces densely glandular-pubescent.

Inflorescences

2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.

2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.

Pedicels

3–20 mm.

4–25 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.

bisexual or pistillate, 5-merous;

calyx tubular, 2–10 mm, lobes to 1–2 mm, glandular-puberulent;

corolla deep lavender to purple, tubular to funnelform, 8–20 mm, lobes 2–8 mm;

stamens included to slightly exserted.

Berries

orange to red, globose, 5 mm, fleshy.

red, ovoid, 5–9 mm, fleshy.

Seeds

50+.

40–60.

2n

= 24.

= 96, 120.

Lycium berlandieri

Lycium fremontii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jan–Apr.
Habitat Desert washes, rocky slopes, flats (Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts). Sandy washes, saline flats (Sonoran Desert).
Elevation 300–900 m. (1000–3000 ft.) 100–1300 m. (300–4300 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)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[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 fremontii occurs in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. Populations of L. fremontii are morphologically gynodioecious (functionally dioecious), and plants are sexually dimorphic for flower size. Pistillate plants are often covered with orange-red berries in March and April. Plants are robust; in southern Arizona they often thrive at the edges of agricultural fields, where there is water run-off. This species co-occurs with L. andersonii, L. berlandieri, and L. californicum. However, the combination of larger bright green leaves, deep lavender flowers, floral dimorphism, and considerable glandular pubescence differentiates this species.

(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. barbarum, L. berlandieri, L. brevipes, L. californicum, L. carolinianum, L. chinense, L. cooperi, L. exsertum, L. ferocissimum, 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. fremontii var. congestum
Name authority Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 520. (1852) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 46. (1862) — (as fremonti)
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