Lycium andersonii
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| Lycium andersonii | ||||||||||||||
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| Lycium andersonii A. Gray |
Lycium andersonii is a perennial shrub of the family Solanaceae, the Nightshades. It is commonly known as Anderson Thornbush, Anderson Wolfberry, Anderson Lycium, Anderson Desert Thorn, Anderson Boxthorn, Desert Tomato, Tomatillo, Wolf Berry, etc. This shrub is part of the western Sonoran Desert complex in the Southwestern United States of the palo verde, Desert Ironwood, Saguaro, Ocotillo, brittlebush, mesquite, etc. complex.
In riparian washes of the deserts of southwestern Arizona and northwestern Mexico, this species can form thickets. One of the main traits of this shrub, is a pattern of rotating spike-branches, that are along main branching stems. The individual spikes get larger and end up as rotating intersecting branches. As a shrub, this design forms a 3D, 3D-form that is thicket-like and impenetrable, even by most birds. Though, seeds, or berries are produced, and on some, but not all shrubs, in great profusion, only external branches, on certain shrubs are available. The seeds are in the majority, very bitter.
The form of flower in the Yuma Desert region has the pale lavender, or whitish tubular flowers in the 4-petal form, instead of the typical 5-petal form.
[edit] References
- Jepson Flora Project: Lycium andersonii
- USDA: NRCS: Plants Profile Lycium andersonii
- Images from the CalPhotos archive
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