Lycium halimifolium
Dereza lanceolata (Lycium halimifolium Mill.) is a species of plants of the genus Dereza (Lycium), Solanaceae family. They are widespread mainly in Southern Europe. It is grown as an ornamental plant. Currently, this species can be found in most of Europe. The lanceolate tree is a thorny shrub 1-3 m high, with twig–shaped, initially erect, later drooping branches. The leaves are narrowly elliptical to oblong-lanceolate, on short petioles, the widest in the middle part, they are pointed at the top, wedge-shaped-narrowed at the base. The flowers are purple-purple or less often brownish, about 2 cm in diameter, single or collected 2-5 in leaf axils, with a pleasant smell. The fruit is an oblong, red or orange, multi–seeded berry. The flowers of the common tree are readily visited by bees, especially in the morning and in the evening, collecting nectar and pollen. In traditional Chinese medicine, dry fruits are used to treat emissions, pain in the lower body, dizziness and amblyopia. For many centuries, dereza berries have been used in traditional Asian medicine as a tonic.
Introduced to the Botanical Garden. The seeds of this species were brought from Rome and sown in the Botanical Garden by academician F.N. Rusanov in 1960. In 1963, in the spring, they were sown in a nursery and the introduction of these species was studied, also on 12/21/1963 they were planted in the European-Crimean-Caucasian exposition of the Tashkent Botanical Garden. Currently, 20 adult trees of this species grow in this exposition.
