Lycium exsertum
Lycium pallidum
Arizona desert-thorn
pale desert-thorn, pale wolfberry, rabbit thorn
blade spatulate, 5–25 × 3–10 mm, surfaces densely glandular-pubescent.
blade spatulate to oblanceolate, 10–50 × 3–25 mm, glaucous, surfaces glabrous.
2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.
2–3-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers.
3–6 mm.
4–16 mm.
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.
5-merous;
calyx cupulate to campanulate, 2.5–8 mm, lobe lengths 1–2 times tube;
corolla greenish white to lavender, often with purple veins, funnelform, (8–)12–25 mm, lobes 3–5 mm;
stamens exserted.
red, ovoid, 6–8 mm, fleshy.
red, ovoid, 10 mm, glaucous, fleshy, apex sometimes hard.
20–35.
4–50.
= 48.
= 24.
Lycium exsertum
Lycium pallidum
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.)
Lycium pallidum is known from throughout Arizona and New Mexico, southeastern California, southern Colorado, south-central Nevada (Nye County), western Oklahoma (Cimarron County), western Texas, southern Utah, and northeastern Mexico. Although the fruits of L. pallidum are fleshy, they occasionally have a hardened apex. The range of L. pallidum overlaps with those of several other Lycium species; however, its large, glaucous leaves and long, funnelform flowers are very distinctive.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Seeds 20–50; corollas 12–25 mm. | var. pallidum |
1. Seeds 4–8; corollas (8–)12–20 mm. | var. oligospermum |
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