Chinese box-thorn

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese box-thorn
• Chinese desert-thorn
• Chinese matrimony vine
• Chinese Teaplant
• Chinese boxthorn
• Chinese matrimony-vine
• Chinese wolfberry
• wolfberry

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Teremis turbinata
• Lycium chinense var. rhombifolium
• Lycium chinense var. potaninii
• Boberella rhombifolia
• Lycium potaninii
• Jasminoides rhombifolium
• Lycium ovatum
• Lycium rhombifolium
• Lycium chinense subsp. rhombifolium
• Lycium chinense f. subglobosum
• Lycium halimifolium var. subglobosum
• Lycium lanceolatum
• Lycium megistocarpum var. ovatum
• Lycium megistocarpum var. lanceolatum
• Lycium halimifolium var. lanceolatum
• Lycium barbarum var. chinense
• Lycium chinense var. ovatum
• Lycium chinense subf. lanceolatum
• Lycium subglobosum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

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

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across several distinct regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence is documented in Great Britain, Ireland, and Sweden. Moving toward the central part of the continent, it can also be found throughout Middle Europe. Specifically, the species inhabits the territories of Germany as well as the Czechia-Slovakia region. Consequently, these locations map out a significant geographical range for the species across both northern and central latitudes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Lycium chinense is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located on aerial shoots well above the ground, a structural trait that defines its growth habit and survival strategy. The plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage periodically as part of its seasonal cycle. Additionally, its classification as a phanerophyte underscores its ability to maintain significant above-ground biomass throughout its developmental stages.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lycium chinense is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, exhibiting a self-supporting structure rather than acting as a liana or vine. It is a terrestrial species that functions as an independent organism, lacking both parasitic and epiphytic tendencies. The plant's stature is relatively modest, with a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.5 m to a maximum of 1 m, though it can reach an average height of approximately 1.75 m under certain conditions.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

1.75 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lycium chinense is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant's vegetative growth is supported by leaves that exhibit significant morphological variability, with leaf lengths typically averaging 3.25 cm, though they can range from a minimum of 1.5 cm to a maximum of 5 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width varies from a minimum of 0.5 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm, defining the surface area available for gas exchange and light absorption. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil to support its physiological development and biomass production.

Leaf length max:

5 cm

Leaf length mean:

3.25 cm

Leaf length min:

1.5 cm

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lycium chinense is characterized by a bisexual sexual reproduction system, ensuring that individual flowers possess both male and female reproductive organs. The flowering period is highly flexible, with flowering start dates occurring as early as December and spanning through various months including January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November, indicating a variable seasonal cycle. The plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically utilizing insects and bees to facilitate fertilization. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fleshy fruits that vary in dimension; the fruit length typically averages 1.1 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.7 cm to a maximum of 1.5 cm, while the fruit width averages 0.65 cm, with a range between 0.5 cm and 0.8 cm. Within these fruits, the seeds possess a consistent mass of 0.002652 g, as both the mean, minimum, and maximum recorded seed mass values are identical. The dispersal of the species is classified as anthropochorous, meaning it is aided by human activity.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit length max:

1.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.1 cm

Fruit length min:

0.7 cm

Fruit width max:

0.8 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.65 cm

Fruit width min:

0.5 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass mean:

0.002652 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lycium chinense has 4 reported plant parts identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf, flower, root.

Fruit

1. PloS one
2. Journal of plant physiology
3. International journal of molecular sciences
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of natural products

Leaf

1. BMC genomics
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Flower

1. BMC genomics

Root

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Lycium chinense has 137 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include betaine, ZINC, Zeaxanthin dipalmitate, kaempferol, CALCIUM.

betaine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of chromatography. A
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Journal of food and drug analysis

ZINC

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate

1. Dr. Duke
2. Research communications in molecular pathology and pharmacology
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

kaempferol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
2. BMC genomics

Carotenoids

1. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
2. BMC genomics

Flavonoids

1. Journal of plant physiology
2. BMC genomics

IRON

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

RUTIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of the science of food and agriculture

Activities

Lycium chinense has 501 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Hepatoprotective, Antihepatotoxic, Antioxidant, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor.

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
3. Archives of pharmacal research

Antihepatotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC research notes

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ATPase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Lycium chinense has 18 reported investigations on conditions identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include stroke, Dry eye disease, Fasciola hepatica, Schistosoma mansoni, amnesia.

Stroke

1. Rejuvenation research
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Dry eye disease

1. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)

Fasciola hepatica

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Schistosoma mansoni

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Amnesia

1. Rejuvenation research

Atherosclerosis

1. Planta medica

Dementia

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Diabetes mellitus

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Erythrocyte counts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Fascioliasis

1. PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Preparations

Lycium chinense has 7 reported preparations identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include 50% aqueous methanol extracts, Decoction, Kyung-Ok-Ko, aerial part (LCA), crude extracts from different parts.

50% aqueous methanol extracts

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Decoction

1. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)

Kyung-ok-ko

1. Rejuvenation research

Aerial part (lca)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Crude extracts from different parts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Ethanol extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Root (lcr)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology