VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Lycium andersonii | Anderson Wolfberry 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Anderson wolfberry is sometimes used as forage by livestock and feral
burros [9,12].  In the lower Colorado River Valley, Arizona, this shrub
can provide an important source of phosphorous and B-carotene for feral
burros in late summer and fall when other more preferred species were
unavailable [9].

The red berries are eaten by some birds and mammals [8,16].  Berries of
this plant constituted 2 percent of the diet of chukar partridges living
on the eastern desert ranges of California.  In some areas of southern
Nevada, the fleshy leaves and juicy berries provide part of the
succulence permitting Gambel quail to occupy desert areas devoid of
drinking water.  Ord kangaroo rats are also known to eat these berries
[8].  Black-chinned hummingbirds are attracted to Anderson wolfberry's
pollen [30].


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability of Anderson wolfberry browse is presumably fair to low.
This species is used as forage only when more desirable species are
unavailable [8,9].  The fruit, however, appears to be moderately
palatable.


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Nutrient values were examined in detail in a Great Basin study at
Mercury Valley, Nye County, Nevada [23].  Selected values are as
follows:

                  Percent dry weight
        N     P     Na     K     Ca     Mg     Si
shoot   -    .10    .010   2.12  2.65   .24    .04   
leaf    3.26 .12    .013   5.58  11.64  1.44   .05


                   ppm dry weight (micrograms)
        Zn     Cu     Fe     Mn     B     Sr
shoot    9      3     90      5     12    77
leaf    41      4     162    33     65    648


In the lower Colorado River Valley, Arizona, researchers found that the
gross energy for Anderson wolfberry was lowest in January and February,
but stayed between 4.0 and 5.0 kcal/g all year.  Crude protein was
highest in the spring at approximately 0.075 percent and decreased
through summer, fall, and early winter to approximately 0.05 percent
[9].  Phosphorus levels generally decreased in the summer and fall and
were highest in the spring.  B-carotene levels were greatest in the late
winter when growth was active [9].


COVER VALUE : 
In desert washes Anderson wolfberry grows in dense thorny thickets which
provide good cover for quail and other small wildlife [7,8].  In
southern Arizona, Anderson wolfberry provides resting and feeding cover
for masked bobwhite quail [7].  Wolfberry provides midday shade and is
open around the base to allow easy escape from predators [7].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
No specific information is available on Anderson wolfberry's value for
rehabilitating disturbed sites.  Lycium spp., however, have been used to
rehabilitate abandoned desert farmlands in the Sonoran desert lowlands,
disturbed sites in Red Rock, Arizona, and disturbed lands in the Mojave
Desert [11,22].  In the Sonoran Desert lowlands and in Red Rock,
Arizona, sites were restored by establishing berms on the contour, and
then seeding with wolfberry (Lycium spp.) and other desert shrubs [11].

Desert shrub transplants should be protected from grazing animals to
ensure establishment and survival [22].  In addition, summer annuals
(Salsola spp.) must be removed from around the transplanted shrubs to
reduce competition for water, and some of the nutrient resource must be
returned to the soil [22].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans used the fleshy berries of Anderson wolfberry either
fresh or boiled and then dried them for later use [17].  This shrub is
also used as an ornamental valued chiefly for its showy red berries
[24].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Lycium andersonii | Anderson Wolfberry