Lycium ferocissimum showing red fruit and white spines

The leaves of Lycium ferocissimum, in Afrikaans known as slangbessie (snake berry), are mostly fascicled or clustered upon the smaller branches. The leaf-shape is long and narrow, obovate to oblanceolate, with rounded tip and leathery or fleshy texture. Leaf dimensions are up to 2 cm long and 5 mm wide.

The fruits are globose to ovoid berries, red, fleshy and shiny when ripe (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Coates Palgrave, 2002).