Elaeagnus umbellata
| Elaeagnus umbellata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Elaeagnaceae |
| Genus: | Elaeagnus |
| Species: | E. umbellata |
| Binomial name | |
| Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. |
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Elaeagnus umbellata, also referred to as Japanese silverberry,[1] umbellate oleaster, autumn-olive,[1][2] autumn elaeagnus,[2] or spreading oleaster,[2] is a species of Elaeagnus native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas east to Japan. Because airborne nitrogen can be fixed in its roots, it has the capability to grow in infertile habitats.
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[edit] Description
These plants are deciduous shrubs or small trees growing 3.5 m tall, with a dense, thorny crown.[3] The leaves are alternate, 4–10 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, entire but with a wavy margin. The leaves are silvery when they leaf out early in spring due to numerous tiny scales, but turn greener above as the scales wear off through the summer (unlike the related E. angustifolia, which remains silvery to leaf fall). The flowers are clustered 1-7 together in the leaf axils, fragrant, with a four-lobed pale yellowish-white 1 cm long corolla. The fruit is a round drupe 1/4 to 1/3 inches (0.65 to 0.85 cm) long,[4] silvery-scaled yellow, ripening to red dotted with silver or brown.
When ripe, the fruit is juicy and edible, and works well as a dried fruit. It is small but abundantly produced, tart-tasting, and has a chewable seed. These fruits have been shown to have from 7 to 17 times the amount of the antioxidant lycopene than tomatoes have.[5]
[edit] Invasive weed
Elaeagnus umbellata is considered an invasive species in various parts of North America where it is naturalized.[6][1]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Elaeagnus umbellata |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Species Profile - Autumn Olive, National Invasive Species Information Center, National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Elaeagnus umbellata.
- ^ a b c "USDA GRIN Taxonomy". http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14934.
- ^ Parmar, C. and M.K. Kaushal. 1982. Elaeagnus umbellata. p. 23–25. In: Wild Fruits. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, India. at The Web site of the Center for New Crops & Plant Products, at Purdue University
- ^ Dirr, M. 1998. Manual of woody landscape plants : their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses. Stipes, Champaign, Ill.
- ^ Fordham, IM, Clevidence BA, Wiley ER et al. "Fruit of autumn olive; A rich source of lycopene" HortScience. Alexandria 36: 1136-1137, 2001
- ^ USDA invasive species identification sheet (pdf)
[edit] External links
| External identifiers for Elaeagnus umbellata | |
|---|---|
| EOL | 582730 |
| ITIS | 27776 |
| NCBI | 43233 |
| Also found in: Wikispecies | |
