African Boxthorn - a weed (*Lycium ferocissimum )

Family: Solanaceae (Potato family).

Native of South Africa.

Occurrence: Widely scattered, from the mallee to the coast.

Identification:

• it is an intricately branched shrub to about 3 metres
• the branches end with sharp spines
• the flowers are pale lilac (or sometimes white)
• the leaves are bright green, slightly fleshy and egg shaped
• the fruit is an orange-red berry.

African Boxthorn is a noxious weed and listed as Regionally Controlled in central Victoria.

It is generally not very common on the central goldfields. African Boxthorn has sometimes been used as a hedge plant.

Similar species: The native Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus) has narrower, longer leaves, and small yellow tube-shaped flowers. It is less spiny, and the branches are often covered with lichen.

The native Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa) has white flowers in summer, and small heart-shaped fruit that dry to a brown or black.

The introduced Chinese Boxthorn (*Lycium barbarum) has thin leaves, is less spiny (and sometimes spineless), and has shorter, leafless branches.