Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Lycium ferocissimum

Flowering stems. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Canberra, ACT

Flowering and fruiting stems. Photographer Don Wood, Potato Point, east of Bodalla

Shrubs. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Kangaroo Island, SA

Common name

African boxthorn

Family

Solanaceae

Where found

Woodland, grassy areas, roadsides, disturbed sites, and along streams. Sydney area, round Goulburn and Wagga Wagga, and the ACT. Occasionally elsewhere.

Notes

Introduced shrub to 6m tall. Side branches ending in a sharp spine. Fruit fleshy. Branches becoming fissured. Young stems hairless. Leafless in drought.  Leaves slightly fleshy, in clusters, sometimes alternating up the stems for a short time on young shoots.  Leaves 0.6-4 cm long, 2-20 mm wide, hairless, tips blunt.  Flowers mauve or white, 8-12 mm in diameter and 10-13 mm long, tubular, with five lobes, single or in pairs.  Fruit orange or red, possibly poisonous. Flowers all year, mostly Spring and Summer.

A Weed of National Significance. General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions all NSW. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Lycium~ferocissimum  (accessed 24 January, 2021)