Russian Box thorn, Black gojiberry
Lycium ruthenicum

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

A spiny shrub. It grows 1.8 m high. The shoots are greyish. The leaves are 6-25 mm long by 1-1.5 mm wide. They are narrow and can be spoon shaped. The spines are 10 mm long. The flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a berry 5-8 mm wide. It is black. The seeds are kidney shaped and 2 mm long. They are brown.

There are about 100 Lycium species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In Pakistan it is a spiny shrub of dry areas between 1,500-2,600 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Iran, Middle East, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, SE Asia, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh and also dried for tea and used in soup.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Heigouqi, Kirchar, Khitsar, Cao ky

Synonyms

Lycium annatum Griffith; Lycium edgeworthii Miers; Lycium foliosum Stocks; Lycium tataricum Pall.;