Lycium europaeum L.
L. mediterraneum Dunal
Eng.: Boxthorn, European matrimony-vine, European tea tree. Spa.: Cambronera. Fre.: Lyciet d’Europe. Ara.: Ausedj, awsag, ghardeq, r’ardâq. Tam.: inzzriki, ossis.
Deciduous shrub, hermaphrodite, up to 3 m in height, highly ramose, spiny, with flexible branches, long, curving into an arch, pendulous, ending in a strong spine. Lateral spines shorter. Stems with smooth bark, slightly fissured on older specimens, greyish-brown. Branches smooth, greyish-brown, with reddish tints. Leaves (1-6 × 0.6-3 cm) ellipsoid, oblong, spatulate or obovate, obtuse, with lower half longly tapered towards the base, subsessile, fasciculate or, less frequently, solitary, slightly or not at all fleshy, glabrous, green on both sides. Flowers solitary, in pairs or rarely ternate, axillary, ± erect. Calyx green, campanulate, very short (2-3 mm) less than 1/4 the length of the corolla tube, with 5 subequal teeth. Corolla whitish with pink or bluish tones, 3-5 times longer than the calyx, with lobes half the size of the tube, opened in the shape of a star and slightly recurved backwards. Stamens with glabrous filament, very exserted from the corolla tube. Fruit a red subglobose berry, sheathed on the lower half by the persistent calyx. 2n = 24.
Flowering:
Almost throughout the year.
Fruiting:
August to November.
Habitat:
Hedgerows, roadsides, thickets in ruderal areas, on very diverse types of terrain, around villages, near old country houses, ruins, etc. From semiarid to subhumid bioclimate, on thermomediterranean and lower mesomediterranean floors. This species does not withstand frost, therefore inland it never appears at high altitude; from sea level to about 1,000 m.
Distribution:
Mediterranean region, SW Asia and Macaronesia. In North Africa it seems to be native to certain areas of Algeria, Tunisia and especially Libya and Egypt. But it is difficult to establish where it is native and where it is not, since it has been cultivated from ancient times to create protective hedges (due to its spines) for fortresses, houses, allotments, etc. In Morocco it is widely distributed throughout the entire country but everyone seems to agree that it is a naturalised species here.
Conservation status:
Rare but widely distributed species. Currently, it has not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.