枸杞 gou qi

Lycium barbarum var. chinense (Miller) Aiton; L. chinense var. ovatum (Poiret) C. K. Schneider; L. megistocarpum Dunal var. ovatum (Poiret) Dunal; L. ovatum Poiret; L. rhombifolium Dippel; L. sinense Grenier; L. trewianum Roemer & Schultes.

Leaves mostly broad. Corolla lobes densely ciliate, with distinct basal auricles. Stamens slightly shorter than corolla. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Aug-Nov.

Slopes, wastelands, saline places, roadsides, near houses. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan; Europe]

Widely cultivated in China as a medicinal plant or vegetable. The fruits are used as a tonic, the root bark is used for relieving cough and reducing fever, the young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and the seed oil is used as a lubricant and for cooking. The species is also grown for controlling erosion.