342 TEA TREE 



ft Flowers axillary, single or few together ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped, pale bluish-lilac, 16 

 22 mm. across, the tube as long as the lobes, 

 7 10 mm. ; throat hairy. Stamens long, 

 anthers small, not connivent, opening by slits. 



Lycium barbarum, L. Tea Tree. More or less thorny 

 straggling bush with slender arching branches. The 

 popular name is owing to a misconception when the plant 

 was introduced, as it has nothing in common with the 

 true Tea Plant. 



Flowers single or in small cymose tufts in the leaf- 

 axils, on long slender pedicels. Homogamous, with honey 

 in the tube. Calyx more or less two-lipped, the 5 lobes 

 ovate. Corolla funnel-shaped, the tube as long as limb, 

 which is about 10 12 mm. across, hairy at the margin, 

 its lobes ovate-oblong, bluish or lilac changing to greenish- 

 yellow at the base inside. Stamens 5, somewhat exserted, 

 spreading; filaments long and slender, anthers dehiscing 

 by slits. Ovary 2-celled; style filiform, stigma dilated. 

 Berry oblong, red. 



(ii) Ovary completely inferior; corolla epigynous. 

 [For (0) see ( a ) Stamens not inserted on the corolla; flower 



regular , and the parts in fours or fives or 

 multiples of 4 or 5. Stamens ob-diplo- 

 stemonous, opening by pores. Fruit baccate. 

 Moorland sub-shrubs (Vaccinium type). 

 * Parts of the flower in fives; corolla sub- 

 globose, urceolate; stamens 10; anthers 

 awned ; flowers homogamous, with honey 

 at the base of the corolla; berries blue- 

 black. Leaves deciduous. 



t Branches angular and leaves serratulate, and 

 not glaucous. Corolla white, touched with 

 green and rose, 6 7 mm. long. 



