Easily confused with: Chinese Teaplant (Lycium chinense)but that is said to have narrow lanceolate leaves that are wider below the middle rather than widest in the middle for Duke of Argylle's Teaplant. From the above photographs, this looks a nonsense. In fact some authorities think that there is only, at best, a very tenuous distinction between the two which are very probably one and the same!

The flowers have some similarities to : a few others in the same Nightshade Family, such as Bittersweet, but the petals are not swept backwards, and the anthers are not in a single yellow column.

Distinguishing Feature : A large shrub with Nightshade-type flowers.

No relation to : The Duke of Argylle.

The berries are oblong, slightly irregular, and scarlet red.

It is used as hedging, particularly in coastal areas. The Third Duke of Argylle introduced this plant from China in the 1730's, hence the name 'Duke of Argylle's Teaplant'.

The (dried) berries are apparently edible, despite it belonging to the mainly poisonous Nightshade Family (which includes cultivated edible species such as Potato, Tomato, Aubergine and Paprika Peppers. Unripe berries may contain more toxins. Duke of Argylle's Teaplant does contain some toxins: Atropine, a glucopyranoside and phenolic amides, but the plant is nowhere near as toxic as the poisonous Solanaceae. Tea brewed from the leaves can have adverse biological effects if a lot is drunk.

A so-called 'health' drink called Goji juice derived from the berries of this plant is claimed to have beneficial effects, but these claims may not have beeen substantiated in practice. Imbiber beware!

SUNSCREEN LOTIONS Duke of Argylle's Teaplant contains, amongst many other chemicals, Scopoletin, a a Coumarin that is widespread in nature along with coumarin itself and Aesculetin [sometimes spelt 'Esculetin']. It is a 7-hydroxy coumarin. This and its analogues are produced commercially by synthetic processes to act as sunscreens in suncreams because of their high absorption of the harmful ultraviolet wavelengths from the sun. It is also an acetylcholine inhibitor.

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