Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Chinese Boxthorn - Lycium chinense   P. Miller
Members of Solanaceae:
Members of Lycium with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Solanales » Family Solanaceae
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AuthorP. Miller
DistributionA single collection is known: Madison County, along a railroad, 1966, Radford et al. 45180 (many herbaria). Specimens from Buncombe County and Alleghany County appear to be L. barbarum and need an ID check.

Native of China; in N.A. ME to Ont. south to GA and MO; also CA.
AbundanceVery rare.
HabitatAlong a railroad track.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting May-October.
IdentificationChinese Boxthorn is quite similar to Matrimony Vine (L. barbarum), but the leaves are broader and with less gradual taper to the stalk. The corolla lobes are longer than the tube (vs. shorter in that species). As with that species, the flowers are purple and with dangling bright red fruit.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
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AllHerbaria
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AllCollection_non_natural