Boxthorn
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 African Boxthorn Lycium ferocissimum
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About 90, including: |
Boxthorn (Lycium) is a genus (tribe Lycieae, family Solanaceae) of about 90 species of plants native throughout much of the sub-tropical zones of the world, mostly found in dry, semi-saline environments. Common names include wolfberry, desert-thorn, Christmas berry, Matrimony vine, and the confusing "Tea-tree" (it is not related to tea, and with the foliage being toxic, should not be used as such).
There are ~20 species in North America, ~30 species in South America, ~30 species in Africa, ~10 species in Eurasia, and one species in Australia. Grabowskia and Phrodus join Lycium in tribe Lycieae, and are the genera most closely related to Lycium.
They are long-lived, perennial, thorny shrubs, with deciduous alternate, simple leaves 1-8 cm long. The flowers are solitary or in small clusters, 6-25 mm diameter, with a corolla of five purple, white or greenish-white petals joined together at their bases. The fruit is fleshy, multiseeded berry 8-20 mm diameter that may be red, yellow, orange, purple or black. These fruit resemble nightshade and bittersweet berries. In some species, notably L. barbarum (Wolfberry), the fruit is edible (see that species for further detail).
Most species of Lycium are cosexual (all flowers have both male and female function), however, several species exhibit gender dimorphism. Evidence suggests that sexual dimorphism has evolved more than once in the Lycium genus. There are species that have both monecious and dioceous populations, most notably L. californicum.
[edit] Uses
The berry fruit, leaves and bark have been used in China throughout over 2,000 years of recorded history. The fruit is known in China as gouqizi (枸杞子, wolfberry, Lycium barbarum), where it is used in herbal teas, food preparations and juice. The berries may also be eaten whole and are used in this way for a variety of purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. Research has shown the primary active ingredients to be polysaccharides, betaine and physalin.
Lycium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora vigilis (recorded on L. ferocissimum).
[edit] References
- Dharmananda, S. Lycium Fruit. Lycium Fruit. Retrieved on 2005-09-06, 1997.
- Project Lycieae Homepage
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