''Elaeagnus'' ,

silverberry ''Elaeagnus commutata'', the silverberry or wolf-willow, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'' native to western and boreal North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia east to Quebec, south to Utah, and across the upper Midwestern United ...

or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae.

Description

''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s or small trees. The alternate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

and the shoots are usually covered with tiny silvery to brownish scales, giving the plants a whitish to grey-brown colour from a distance. The flowers are small, with a four-lobed

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

and no petals; they are often fragrant. The fruit is a fleshy

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

containing a single seed; it is edible in many species. Several species are cultivated for their fruit, including ''E. angustifolia'', ''E. umbellata'', and ''E. multiflora'' (gumi). ''E. umbellata'' contains the

carotenoid Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic compound, organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and Fungus, fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpki ...

lycopene.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Elaeagnus'' was erected in 1754 by Carl Linnaeus, who attributed the name to Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. There is agreement that the name is based on Theophrastus's use of the Ancient Greek (, latinized to ) as the name of a shrub. The first part of the name, ''elae-'', is from , 'olive'. Sources differ on the origin of the second part: it may be from , '' Vitex agnus-castus'', the chaste tree, or from the Greek name for a kind of willow. In either case, the second part is derived from (), meaning 'pure', 'chaste'.

Species

''Elaeagnus'' comprises the following species: * '' Elaeagnus angustata'' (Rehder) C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus angustifolia'' L. – oleaster, Russian silverberry, or Russian olive (western Asia) * '' Elaeagnus annamensis'' S.Moore * '' Elaeagnus argyi'' H.Lév. (China) * ''

Elaeagnus bambusetorum ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and the sh ...

'' Hand.-Mazz. (China) * ''

Elaeagnus bockii ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' Diels (China) * '' Elaeagnus bonii'' Lecomte * ''

Elaeagnus calcarea ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' Z.R.Xu * '' Elaeagnus caudata'' Schltdl. ex Momiy. * '' Elaeagnus cinnamomifolia'' W.K.Hu & H.F.Chow (China) * ''

Elaeagnus commutata ''Elaeagnus commutata'', the silverberry or wolf-willow, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'' native to western and boreal North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia east to Quebec, south to Utah, and across the upper Midwestern United ...

'' Bernh. ex Rydb. – American silverberry or wolf-willow (

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

) * '' Elaeagnus conferta'' Roxb. (southern Asia) * '' Elaeagnus courtoisii'' Belval (China) * ''

Elaeagnus davidii ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' Franch. (China) * '' Elaeagnus delavayi'' Lecomte (China) * '' Elaeagnus difficilis'' Servett. (China) * '' Elaeagnus epitricha'' Momiy. ex H.Ohba * '' Elaeagnus fasciculata'' Griff. * '' Elaeagnus formosana'' Nakai ( Taiwan) * '' Elaeagnus formosensis'' Hatus. * ''

Elaeagnus geniculata ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and the shoo ...

'' D.Fang * '' Elaeagnus glabra'' Thunb. (eastern Asia) * '' Elaeagnus gonyanthes'' Benth. (China) * '' Elaeagnus griffithii'' Servett. (China) * '' Elaeagnus grijsii'' Hance (China) * '' Elaeagnus guizhouensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus henryi'' Warb. ex Diels (China) * ''

Elaeagnus heterophylla ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' D.Fang & D.R.Liang * '' Elaeagnus hunanensis'' C.J.Qi & Q.Z.Lin * '' Elaeagnus indica'' Servett. * '' Elaeagnus infundibularis'' Momiy. * ''

Elaeagnus jiangxiensis ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus jingdonensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus kanaii'' Momiy. (China) * '' Elaeagnus lanceolata'' Warb. (China) * '' Elaeagnus lanpingensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus laosensis'' Lecomte * ''

Elaeagnus latifolia ''Elaeagnus latifolia'', known as the bastard oleaster, or soh-sang, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'' native to India and Southeast Asia. Description ''Elaeagnus latifolia'' is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to ten feet tall. It has alternate ...

'' L. (southern Asia) * '' Elaeagnus lipoensis'' Z.R.Xu * '' Elaeagnus liuzhouensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * ''

Elaeagnus longiloba ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus loureiroi'' Champ. (southern China) * '' Elaeagnus luoxiangensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus luxiensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus macrantha'' Rehder (China) * ''

Elaeagnus macrophylla ''Elaeagnus macrophylla'', the broad-leaved oleaster, is a species of flowering plant native to eastern Asia. Growing to tall by broad, it is a substantial spreading evergreen shrub, with round glossy leaves which are silvery when young. Heavi ...

'' Thunb. (eastern Asia) * '' Elaeagnus magna'' (Servett.) Rehder (China) * ''

Elaeagnus matsunoana ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' Makino * '' Elaeagnus maximowiczii'' Servett. * '' Elaeagnus micrantha'' C.Y.Chang (China) * ''

Elaeagnus mollis ''Elaeagnus'' , silverberry or oleaster, is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alternate leaves and ...

'' Diels (China) * '' Elaeagnus montana'' Makino * '' Elaeagnus morrisonensis'' Hayata ( Taiwan) * ''

Elaeagnus multiflora ''Elaeagnus multiflora'', the cherry elaeagnus, cherry silverberry, goumi, gumi, or natsugumi, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'' native to China, Korea, and Japan. ''Elaeagnus multiflora'' is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree growin ...

'' Thunb. – cherry silverberry or gumi (eastern Asia) * '' Elaeagnus murakamiana'' Makino * '' Elaeagnus nanchuanensis'' C.Y.Chang (China) * '' Elaeagnus obovata'' H.L.Li (China) * '' Elaeagnus obovatifolia'' D.Fang * '' Elaeagnus obtu