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Cooper wolfberry, Cooper's box thorn, Cooper's desert-thorn, peach thorn

box thorn, goji berry, Matrimony-vine

Habit Shrubs erect, 0.6–2.5 m; bark usually purplish to reddish; stems densely glandular-pubescent. Shrubs erect, 0.8–3 m; bark silvery tan; stems glabrous.
Leaves

blade spatulate to oblanceolate, 10–35 × 2–23 mm, surfaces usually densely glandular-pubescent.

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

2–8 mm.

10–20 mm.

Flowers

(4–)5-merous;

calyx narrowly campanulate, 4–14 mm, lobe lengths 0.5–1 times tube;

corolla white or greenish yellow, sometimes purple-veined, tubular to funnelform, 8–15 mm, lobes 1.5–3 mm;

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

greenish yellow to orange, ovoid, constricted at or distal to middle, 5–10 mm, dry, hard, strongly accrescent calyx usually rupturing with fruit growth.

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

Seeds

6–10.

4–20.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Lycium cooperi

Lycium barbarum

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering Mar–Oct.
Habitat Sandy washes to slopes (Mojave and Colorado deserts). Waste places, roadsides, fields.
Elevation 100–2000 m. (300–6600 ft.) 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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

Lycium cooperi occurs in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada (Clark and Esmeralda counties), and southwestern Utah (Washington County). It can be distinguished from the similar species L. pallidum and L. shockleyi by its dense, glandular pubescence and hard, constricted fruit.

(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. berlandieri, L. brevipes, L. californicum, L. carolinianum, L. chinense, 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. barbarum var. auranticarpum, L. halimifolium
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 388. (1868) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 192. (1753)
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