Baja desert-thorn Solanaceae Lycium brevipes Benth. Listen to the Latin symbol: LYBR Other Fact Sheets
Leaf: Alternate, simple, drought deciduous, 1/4 to 5/8 inch long, broadly obovate to spatulate, entire margins, blue to gray-green, somewhat thickened and fleshy.
Flower: Species is monoecious; narrow tubular, 4 (sometimes 5) lobed, 1/2 inch long, on a short stalk, white to pale lavender, appearing spring.
Fruit: Fleshy, orange-red, oval berries (resemble small tomatoes), 3/8 inch long, hang downward, ripen in early summer, edible.
Twig: Stiff, light ashy gray, and spine-tipped, leaves appear on short spurs.
Bark: Irregular, interlacing, shallow furrows with shreddy flat ridges.
Form: Densely branched, spiny shrub up to 9 feet tall.
Looks like: Anderson boxthorn - Fremont's desert-thorn - bitter condalia - blackbrush
leaf flower fruit twig bark form map
Additional Range Information:
Lycium brevipes is native to North America. It is not widely planted. See states reporting Baja desert-thorn. 		External Links:
USDA Plants Database 		Copyright 2011
Virginia Tech Homepage CNRE FREC