Shrubs erect, 0.5–3 m; bark silvery tan to dark brown; stems glabrous or pubescent. Leaves: blade spatulate, 3–35 × 1–8 mm, fleshy to succulent, sometimes glaucous, surfaces gla­brous or pubescent. Inflorescences 2-flowered fascicles or solitary flowers. Pedicels 1–10 mm. Flowers 4–5-merous; calyx cupulate, 1.5–3 mm, lobe lengths 0.25 times tube; corolla white to light purple, narrowly tubular-funnelform, 4–16 mm, lobes 1–2.5 mm, mar­gins glabrous or sparsely ciliate; stamens included or exserted. Berries orange to red, ovoid, 3–8 mm, fleshy. Seeds 50+. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat: Desert washes, flats, grasslands.
Elevation: 100–1900 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ariz., Calif., Nev., N.Mex., Utah, Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora).

Discussion

F. Chiang Cabrera (1981) recognized three varieties of Lycium andersonii (var. andersonii, var. deserticola, var. wrightii) in the flora area; these varieties are based on corolla lobe number (four or five), flower size, and leaf size and shape. Distinctiveness of these varieties is unclear; these characters generally vary within most species and indeed within individuals.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.