A spiny branched shrub 100-180 cm tall, shoots white-tomentose. Spines tomentose towards the base. Leaves 4-25 (-30) x 2.5-6 mm, elliptic-oblong to narrow oblong, cuneate, obtuse or acute, pilose to tomentose. Flowers axillary solitary or paired, white or purple-suffused. Pedicel 3-4 mm long, pilose. Calyx narrow tubular, 2.5 x 1.5 mm, pilose; lobes 0.5-1 mm long, acute, pubescent. Corolla tube 10-12 mm long; lobes 2.0 mm long, acute, minutely pubescent. Filaments glabrous at the base, subexserted. Berry 4 mm broad, orange-red. Seeds c. 1.5 mm broad, reniform. brown.

Fl. Per.: November-January.

Type: N. Africa, Shaw, Hb. Sherard (OXF).

Distribution: N. & E. Africa, N. Sudan, Sinai, Arabia, S. W. Iran, S. Iraq, S. Palestine. Turkey, Baluchistan (Pakistan).

The species can be recognised on account of its tubular calyx, ± equal teeth, long narrow corolla tube, with the lobes less than 1/3rd their length and the galbrous filaments. The corolla tube is sometimes hairy within. The species is closely allied to the chinese Lycium barbarum Miller, from which it differs mainly in the filaments being glabrous at the base.