Lycium cinereum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Solanales |
Family: | Solanaceae |
Genus: | Lycium |
Species: | L. cinereum |
Binomial name | |
Lycium cinereum | |
Lycium cinereum is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to southern Africa. It is widespread across South Africa, as well as southern Namibia and Botswana. [1] [2]
Lycium cinereum is a small, stiff, very spiny shrub. It has rigidly erect-spreading, intricately-branching stems. The young stems are grey-white with striations, while the older stems become dark glossy brown.
Like many other Lycium species, the leaves are oblong to narrowly-elliptic in shape.
The flowers emerge from the leaf axils. The corolla is tubular, with five large reflexed lobes (petals). The stamens are extended and very clearly exserted from the corolla mouth. The calyx is tubular-to-campanulate, with its length and width being almost equal. The calyx is relatively short, and covers less than half of the corolla tube.
The fruits are small, ovoid, red berries. [3]
Lycium cinereum is frequently confused with several related species that co-occur with it in South Africa, including Lycium ferocissimum , Lycium horridum , Lycium pumilum , and Lycium tenue .
Some earlier authors treated several of these species names as synonymous with L. cinereum. [5]
Paulownia is a genus of seven to 17 species of hardwood trees in the family Paulowniaceae, the order Lamiales. The genus and family are native to east Asia and are widespread across China. The genus, originally Pavlovnia but now usually spelled Paulownia, was named in honour of Anna Pavlovna, queen consort of The Netherlands (1795–1865), daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia. It is also called "princess tree" for the same reason.
Lycium is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The genus has a disjunct distribution around the globe, with species occurring on most continents in temperate and subtropical regions. South America has the most species, followed by North America and southern Africa. There are several scattered across Europe and Asia, and one is native to Australia. Common English names for plants of this genus include box-thorn, wolfberry, and desert-thorn. There are about 70 to 80 species.
Lycium barbarum is a shrub native to China, with present-day range across Asia and southeast Europe. It is one of two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae from which the goji berry or wolfberry is harvested, the other being Lycium chinense.
Lycium chinense is one of two species of boxthorn shrub in the family Solanaceae. Along with Lycium barbarum, it produces the goji berry ("wolfberry"). Two varieties are recognized, L. chinense var. chinense and L. chinense var. potaninii. It is also known as Chinese boxthorn, Chinese matrimony-vine, Chinese teaplant, Chinese wolfberry, wolfberry, and Chinese desert-thorn.
Rhododendron subgenus Rhododendron is a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron. With around 400 species, it is the largest of the eight subgenera containing nearly half of all known species of Rhododendron and all of the lepidote species.
Brunfelsia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to subfamily Petunioideae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. The 50 or so species have been grouped into the three sections: Brunfelsia, Franciscea and Guianenses, which differ significantly in both distribution and characteristics, although molecular data have revealed that only two sections are natural (monophyletic), namely the Caribbean section Brunfelsia and a common section for all South American species. Linnaeus named the genus for the early German herbalist Otto Brunfels (1488–1534).
Graderia is a genus of plants in the family Orobanchaceae, which is native to Africa and Socotra. It belongs to the tribe Buchnereae. It is a hemiparasitic taxon.
Lycium ferocissimum, the African boxthorn or boxthorn, is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa.
Iochroma arborescens is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iochroma, belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. Formerly it was considered the single species in the monotypic genus Acnistus. Common names include gallinero, mata-gallina, fruta-de-sabiá, hollowheart, wild tobacco, siyou, bastard sirio, galán arbóreo, tabaco de monte, nigüito, marieneira, güitite, and tabak djab.
Trompettia cardenasiana is a species of nightshade that is a spiny shrub bearing very small leaves, 0.35–0.5 cm (0.1–0.2 in) by 0.1–0.12 cm (0.04–0.05 in), a yellow trumpet-shaped campanulate flower, measuring about 3 cm (1.2 in) long and globose fruit. The growth habit is somewhat reminiscent of certain Lycium species. It is endemic to Bolivia, growing in dry, Andean valleys at altitudes of 2,000–2,500 m (6,600–8,200 ft) and 3,000–3,500 m (9,800–11,500 ft) and has been collected near the town of Cotagaita in Potosí Department.
Psychotria capensis, the bird-berry, is a southern African evergreen shrub or small tree. It belongs to a genus which is used medicinally in many regions, 'Psychotria' being from the Greek for 'rejuvenating', in reference to the healing properties of certain species. Kew lists some 2,000 species of Psychotria growing throughout the warmer regions of both hemispheres, but only two of them occur in southern Africa, namely P. capensis and P. zombamontana.
Lycium afrum, the kraal honey thorn is a shrub in the potato family (Solanaceae), indigenous to the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
The Solanaceae, or the nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many—including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers—are used as food. The family belongs to the order Solanales, in the asterid group and class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology.
Atropanthe is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of subfamily Solanoideae of the family Solanaceae.
Poortmannia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. It is also in Solanoideae subfamily, tribe Solandreae Miers and also subtribe Juanulloinae. The genus has only one known species, Poortmannia speciosaDrake.
Selago thomii is a species of plant in the family Scrophulariaceae. It is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa.
Lycium oxycarpum is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to the Karoo regions of South Africa.
Lycium horridum is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa as well as southern Namibia and Botswana.
Lycium pumilum is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa and Namibia.
Lycium tenue is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa.