Lycium chinense Mill., Solanaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Lycium ovatum Loisel.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: gou qi

English: Chinese boxthorn, Chinese desert-thorn, Chinese matrimony vine, Chinese teaplant, Chinese wolfberry, wolfberry

French: lyciet de Chine

Japanese: kuko

Korean: gugija, gugijanamu

Malayan: kaukichai

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrubs erect or sprawling, 0.5-1 (-2) m tall. Stems much branched; branches pale gray, slender, curved or pendulous, with thorns 0.5-2 cm. Leaves solitary or in clusters of 2-4; leaf blade ovate, rhombic, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 1.5-5 x 0.5-2.5 cm (to 10 x 4 cm in cultivation). Inflorescences solitary or paired flowers on long shoots or fasciculate among leaves on short shoots. Pedicel 1-2 cm. Calyx campanulate, 3-4 mm, 3-5-divided to halfway, lobes densely ciliate. Corolla pale purple, 0.9-l.2 cm; tube funnel-form, shorter than or subequaling lobes, lobes pubescent at margin. Stamens slightly shorter or longer than corolla, with a villous ring slightly above filament base and adjacent corolla tube. Berry red, ovoid or oblong, 0.7-1.5 cm x 5-8 mm (ca. 2.2 x 1 cm in cultivation). Seeds numerous, yellow, 2.5-3 mm"  (Flora of China Online).

Habitat/ecology:  In China (native), "slopes, wastelands, saline places, roadsides, near houses" (Flora of China Online).

Propagation:  Seed. Plants also sprout from suckers (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 540).

Native range:  Eastern Asia; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1926) (voucher ID: BISH 69720) Taxon name on voucher: Lycium chinense Mill.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Slopes, wastelands, saline places, roadsides, near houses. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 218)
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Slopes, wastelands, saline places, roadsides, near houses.
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	invasive cultivated	Ching-I Peng, ed. (2013) "Commonly cultivated, escaping and long-persistent".
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013) Ontario
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Lycium chinense, please let us know.