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.

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. 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]