Lycium brevipes

Lycium brevipes is a species of flowering plant in the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family known by the common name Baja Desert Thorn. It is native to northwestern Mexico and it occurs in California as far as the Sonoran Desert as well as near the coast and on some of the Channel Islands. It grows in the scrub of desert and coastline. It is also used as a southwestern landscaping plant. This is a bushy, spreading shrub approaching a maximum height of 13 feet but usually less, with many long, thorny, tangled branches. The branches are lined with small, fleshy green leaves up to 0.6 inches long and coated with minute hairs. The small cluster consists of tubular flowers roughly a half to 3/4 inches long including the calyx of sepals at the base. The lavender to nearly white corolla is tiny, funnel-shaped and has 2 to 6 lobes at the mouth. The five stamens and one style protrude from the flower. The fruit is a bright red spherical berry about a quarter inch wide containing many seeds. The berries attract birds.