Shrubs usually erect, sometimes prostrate, 1–2.5 m; bark yellow­ish, gray to reddish, or black; stems glabrous or sparsely puberulent. Leaves: blade spat­ulate to oblanceolate, 10–50 × 3–25 mm, glaucous, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences 2–3-flowered fascicles or soli­tary flowers. Pedicels 4–16 mm. 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. Berries red, ovoid, 10 mm, glaucous, fleshy, apex sometimes hard. Seeds 4–50. 2n = 24.

Distribution

sw United States, Mexico.

Discussion

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).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Lycium pallidum var. oligospermum, Lycium pallidum var. pallidum

Key

1	Seeds 20–50; corollas 12–25 mm.	Lycium pallidum var. pallidum
1	Seeds 4–8; corollas (8–)12–20 mm.	Lycium pallidum var. oligospermum