Lycium shawii

Lycium shawii, desert thorn or Arabian boxthorn is a species of thorny shrub adapted to desert environments, and can be found throughout the Arabian Peninsula, and some places in Africa. The thin leaved, rigid bush grows up to 3 metres (9.8 feet) high, with a lot of branches and alternating spines that vary in size, and grow along the branches and on their tips. The leaves narrow towards their base. It produces small whitish-pink or purple flowers from September until April, and red pea-sized seedy berries that are edible. Habitats include gravel plains and foothills up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m), as well as wadis. Plants often growing nearby include Acacia tortilis and Prosopis cineraria.

Description

A thorny shrub. It grows 1.5 m high. It loses its leaves during drought. The leaves are spoon shaped and leathery. They are 2-3.5 cm long by 1 cm wide. The flowers can be pink, blue or white. They are on stalks in the axils of leaves. The fruit are orange-red berries. They are edible.

Edible Uses

The leaves are chopped and cooked as a vegetable and eaten with other greens. The fruit are edible though rarely eaten.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are chopped and cooked as a vegetable and eaten with other greens. Caution: The fruit should only be used with caution.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The stems, leaves and berries are used in traditional medicine. In Yemen, the pounded leaves of this shrub have been used as a cure for eye ailments. The berries have a laxative effect and were used in traditional medicine to relieve constipation and as a diuretic. Livestock eat new growth on the plant.

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant.

Distribution

It grows in Mediterranean climates. In Bahrain it grows in gravelly and stony soil in desert areas. It grows between 800-3,000 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 0-100 mm. It grows in the Sahara. It can grow in arid places. It is highly salt tolerant.

Where It Grows

Africa, Arabia, Bahrain, Botswana, East Africa, Egypt - Sinai, Eswatini, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Turkey, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed or from stem cuttings.

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings.

Other Uses

The branches are used for fencing. The plant can be used as a hedge.

Other Information

The fruit are rarely eaten.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Ausaj, 'awsaj, Doreda, Serim

References (16)

• Al-Sodany, Y. M., et al, 2013, Medicinal Plants in Saudi Arabia: I. Sarrwat Mountains at Taif, KSA. Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 6 (4): 134-145
• Bidak, L. M., et al, 2015, Goods and services provided by native plants in desert ecosystems: Examples from the northwestern coastal desert of Egypt. Global Ecology and Conservation 3 (2015) 433–447
• Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org
• Fl. orient. 4:289. 1879 (As Lycium arabicum)
• Karim, F. M. & Dakheel, A, J., 2006, Salt-tolerant plants of the United Arab Emirates. 2006. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai, UAE. p 150

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