Flora of North America species comparison

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Lycium exsertum

Arizona desert-thorn
Habit Shrubs erect, 1–4 m; bark dark gray to brown; stems densely glandular-pubescent.
Leaves

blade spatulate, 5–25 × 3–10 mm, surfaces densely glandular-pubescent.
Inflorescences

2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.
Pedicels

3–6 mm.
Flowers

bisexual or pistillate, 5-merous;

calyx tubular-campanulate, 2.5–6 mm, lobe lengths 0.25–0.5 times tube;

corolla greenish white to lavender, funnelform, 7–14 mm, lobes 1–2 mm;

stamens exserted 2–3+ mm in bisexual flowers.
Berries

red, ovoid, 6–8 mm, fleshy.
Seeds

20–35.
2n

= 48.

Lycium exsertum
Phenology Flowering Jan–Apr.
Habitat Desert washes, bajadas (Sonoran Desert).
Elevation 300–1400 m. (1000–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Baja California, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Populations of Lycium exsertum are morphologically gynodioecious (functionally dioecious), and plants are sexually dimorphic for flower size. Lycium exsertum can be differentiated from L. fremontii by its light purple pendent flowers, often considerably exserted stamens or stigma, and a more upland habitat.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Lycium
Sibling taxa
L. andersonii, L. barbarum, L. berlandieri, L. brevipes, L. californicum, L. carolinianum, L. chinense, L. cooperi, L. ferocissimum, L. fremontii, L. macrodon, L. pallidum, L. parishii, L. puberulum, L. shockleyi, L. texanum, L. torreyi
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 305. (1885)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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