Lycium shawii
Solanaceae FAMILY

Lycium shawii

Lycium shawii

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].

Botanical Description

Lycium shawii is an erect, spreading, sometimes scandent, intricately branched, very spiny shrub growing 1 - 3 metres tall, exceptionally becoming a small tree up to 4.5 metres tall[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. The spines are usually 5 - 10mm long, occasionally to 15mm[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is also grown as a hedge.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeE. Mediterranean; Africa - Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, S. Africa; through Arabia, Iran to India.
HabitatDry to relatively moist areas such as hilly country to the edge of floodplains; riverbanks and dambos; mixed woodland and wooded grassland; extending into miombo mainly on termitaria; cultivated areas and along roadsides; 910 - 1463 metres[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ].