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Lycium barbarum

Botanic Family

Solanaceae

Author

Linnaeus

Cultivated

C, medicinal uses

Common Names

• Common Matrimony Vine
• Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree
• Chinese Box-thorn
• Ning xia gou qi (Pinyin)

Geographical Habitats

• Ningxia
• Qinghai
• Xinjiang - China

Natural Habitats

• Wasteland

Flowering Times

• May-Aug Late Spring & Summer

Fruiting Times

• Aug-Nov

Deciduous erect or scandent glabrous spiny vine shrub or tree with angular branches. Glabrous leaves. Extra-axillary clusters of 13mm purple, mauve or pink aging brownish flowers with yellow base, drooping yellow to red berry to 30mm long

Can become a weed

Cultivated for medicinal uses, used as a hedging plant

Further References

• Rehder 1934
• Bean 1950
• Menninger 1970
• Bailey 1976
• Krussmann 1976
• Huxley 1992
• FOC
• FONZ
• RHS A-Z
• The Plant List 2
• G. Don
• Botanicus
• Gleason & Moldenke