Baja desert-thorn Solanaceae Lycium brevipes Benth. symbol: LYBR 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 Additional Range Information: Lycium brevipes is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Baja desert-thorn. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson