Lycium
| Lycium subsp. var. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture |
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Lycium (Greek, Lykion, a name given to a Rhamnus from Lycia, transferred by Linnaeus to this genus). So- lanaceae. Matrimony-Vine. Box-thorn. Ornamental shrubs grown for their flowers and for the attractive fruits, scarlet in most species. Deciduous or evergreen, thorny or unarmed: lvs alternate, often fascicled, short-petioled, entire, without stipules: fls. axillary, solitary or clustered; calyx campanulate, 3-5-toothed; corolla funnelform, with usually 5-lobed limb; stamens mostly 5: fr. a berry, with few to many seeds.—About 100 species, distributed through the temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. The matrimony-vines are shrubs with usually spiny branches, rigid in some species, slender and arching or procumbent in others, with rather small and narrow usually grayish green leaves and dull-colored, whitish, purplish or violet flowers, followed by scarlet, rarely yellow or black berries. Most of the species are tender, but L. halimifolium, L. chinense, and also L. turcomanicum and L. ruthenicum are hardy North. L. pallidum has proved hardy at the Arnold Arboretum. The two first named are especially attractive in fall, when the long and slender branches are loaded with scarlet or bright red fruits, which contrast well with the green foliage. The leaves remain fresh and unchanged in color until they drop, after severe frost. The species are well adapted for covering walls, fences, arbors and other trellis work, but are, perhaps, most beautiful when the branches are pendent from rocks or from the top of walls. They are also used sometimes for hedges, and for warmer regions, especially, L. horridum and L. afrum may be recommended. The latter is much used in South Africa for this purpose under the name of "caffir thorn." The box-thorns grow in almost any soil that is not too moist. They should not be planted near flower-beds or similar places, where the suckers are apt to become troublesome. Propagation is accomplished readily by hardwood cuttings or suckers; also by layers and seeds. L. Afrum, Linn. Upright, rigid, spiny: lvs. linear-spatulate, small: fls. solitary, tubular, with short limb, purple, 1in. long. N. and S. Afr. B.R. 354.—L. barbarum. Linn. Spiny or rarely unarmed shrub, similar to L. halimifolium: fls. 3-6; tube inside and filaments at base glabrous, limb half as long as tube. N. Afr.—L. californicum, Nutt. Spiny shrub, to 2 ft.: lvs. thickish, spatulate, very small: fls. whitish, small: fr. red, small, subglobose. Calif.— L. europaeum. Linn. (L. mediterraneum, Dun.). Spiny shrub, with spreading branches: lvs. spatulate, thickish: fls. short-pedicelled, with the slender tube much longer than limb. Medit. region.—L. fuchsioides, HBK.-Iochroma fuchsioides.—L. ruthenicum, Murr. Upright, spiny: lvs. linear, small, thick: fls. small, with rather long tube: fr. globular, black. S. Russia, W.-Asia,—L. turcomanicum. Turcs. Slender, spiny, allied to L. halimifolium: lvs. and fls. smaller, tube more slender and longer: fr. globular. Turkestan, N. China.
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
