Chinese wolfberry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Barbary matrimony vine
• common matrimony vine
• Duke Of Argyll's Teaplant
• Duke of Argyll's Tea-Tree
• Barbary matrimony-vine
• Chinese boxthorn
• Chinese wolfberry
• Duke of Argyll's teatree
• Himalayan goji
• Tibetan goji
• goji-berry
• matrimony-vine
• matrimonyvine

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Lycium vulgare
• Teremis elliptica
• Lycium trewianum
• Lycium thunbergii
• Lycium turbinatum
• Lycium barbatum
• Lycium dunalianum
• Lycium barbarum var. vulgare
• Lycium halimifolium
• Lycium barbarum var. aurantiicarpum
• Lycium floridum
• Lycium cochinchinense
• Boberella halimifolia
• Lycium barbarum var. implicatum
• Lycium chinense f. turbinatum
• Lycium vulgare var. barbarum
• Lycium vulgare f. afroides
• Lycium vulgare var. boissieri
• Lycium vulgare subvar. foliosum
• Lycium vulgare f. depressum
• Lycium chinense var. cochinchinense

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Solanales and the family Solanaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Lycium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing within the borders of Denmark and Great Britain. Additionally, its presence extends to the island of Ireland. The species is also documented in the Scandinavian territories of Norway and Sweden. Together, these locations define its known range within the northern part of the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lycium barbarum is characterized by its preference for coastal habitats, where it thrives within a specific altitudinal gradient. This species is typically found at low elevations, occupying an environmental niche that spans from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 500 m AMSL. By inhabiting these coastal zones, the plant adapts to the unique environmental conditions provided by proximity to the ocean within this relatively narrow elevational range.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Coastal

Life history

The life history of Lycium barbarum is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. Functioning as a phanerophyte, specifically categorized under both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte classifications, its reproductive buds are elevated above the ground level, typically on woody stems. The plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage seasonally as part of its natural physiological cycle.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lycium barbarum is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, which functions as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber. It is a terrestrial species that grows independently, lacking any parasitic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant typically reaches a mean height of 1.725 m, though its vertical dimensions can vary significantly, ranging from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum height of 3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

1.725 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lycium barbarum is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway and a non-carnivorous nutritional strategy, relying on soil-based nutrient uptake rather than capturing prey. The plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, necessitating a reliance on available soil nitrogen for its metabolic processes. Its foliar morphology plays a significant role in its resource management, featuring leaves with a mean size of 13.10875 cm² and a mean width of 1 cm, which ranges from a minimum of 0.8 cm to a maximum of 2 cm. The leaf length reaches a maximum of 3 cm, contributing to a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 140.95 cm²/g, a metric that reflects the plant's efficiency in balancing leaf thickness with surface area for light interception and gas exchange.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

3 cm

Leaf size mean:

13.10875 cm²

Leaf width max:

2 cm

Leaf width mean:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.8 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

140.95 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lycium barbarum is driven by sexual processes, as asexual reproduction is absent. The flowering period typically commences in May and continues through September. The plant utilizes biotic pollination syndromes, specifically relying on insects to facilitate fertilization, although self-fertilization is also present. Following successful pollination, the plant produces an indehiscent fruit classified as a berry. These fruits possess an average length of 2.5 cm and an average width of 0.2 cm. Seed dispersal is categorized as zoochorous, specifically following an endozoochorous pattern where seeds are dispersed via the digestive tracts of animals. The seeds themselves are quite small, with a minimum mass of 0.001 g, a mean mass of 0.001781 g, and a maximum mass of 0.00263 g.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Sep

Fruit length mean:

2.5 cm

Fruit type :

berry

Fruit width mean:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.00263 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001781 g

Seed mass min:

0.001 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lycium barbarum has 5 reported plant parts identified across 24 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf, root, seed, stem.

Fruit

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Food science & nutrition
4. Food & function
5. Nutrients

Leaf

1. Journal of Asian natural products research
2. Food science & nutrition
3. Natural products and bioprospecting
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
5. Phytochemistry

Root

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Seed

1. Journal of food science

Stem

1. Natural products and bioprospecting

Chemicals

Lycium barbarum has 125 reported phytochemicals identified across 24 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Flavonoid, RUTIN, betaine.

Carotenoids

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Nutrients
4. Heliyon
5. BMC plant biology

Flavonoids

1. Nutrients
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Heliyon
4. Food & function
5. BMC genomics

Flavonoid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. BMC microbiology
4. Natural product research

RUTIN

1. Phytochemistry
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Biomedical chromatography : BMC

betaine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecular medicine reports
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. BMC microbiology

glucose

1. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
2. International journal of biological macromolecules
3. Heliyon
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Carotenoid

1. Journal of food science
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Polysaccharide

1. BioMed research international
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

scopoletin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Food & function

Activities

Lycium barbarum has 190 reported activities identified across 24 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antitumor, Neuroprotective, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Photochemistry and photobiology
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. International journal of biological macromolecules
5. Nutrients

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioengineering & translational medicine
3. BioMed research international
4. International journal of biological macromolecules
5. Pharmaceutics

Neuroprotective

1. Nutrients
2. Heliyon
3. BioMed research international
4. Food chemistry
5. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Heliyon
3. BioMed research international

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. BioMed research international
3. Food chemistry

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. BioMed research international

Gastroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Heliyon

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Lycium barbarum has 79 reported medicinal uses identified across 24 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include age-related macular degeneration, antioxidant, apoptosis, fatigue, hypertension.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations