Lycium barbarum L.
Family: Solanaceae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

Lycium halimifolium Mill., L. vulgare Dunal

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

matrimony vine, goji berry

Primary Disseminule Types

fruit (not likely to be dispersed directly to grape bunches), seed

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Fruit a berry with few to several seeds, oblong or ellipsoid to ovoid, shiny, orangish-yellow to bright red, 5–10(30) mm long.

Seed elliptical, angular or reniform in outline, typically deeply notched along margin where hilum occurs, strongly compressed, cross-section narrowly oblong and typically curved or C-shaped, (1.8)2–2.25(3) mm long x 1.5–1.8(2.5) mm wide x 0.4–0.7(1) mm thick. Surface sparkly under magnification, may be dull or rough when dried bits of pericarp remain; otherwise, surface is a maze of high undulating ridges (creating a pitted appearance), pale orange to dark orangish-brown.

Hilum marginal, in notch, opening outwards or towards one of the flat faces, color of testa or darker, sunken, ± round to twisted elliptic, 0.1–0.25 mm long.

Similar Species

Compare to Similar Species of Lycium & Physalis and Similar Species of Solanum.

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, AUWP, NZWP, NZBORIC, NZBPI