Elaeagnus commutata : Silverberry

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster Family)

Genera: Elaeagnus (Oleaster) (Gk. elaia=olive + agnos=chaste-tree; referring to this plants resemblance to both of these two trees)

Species: commutata (Lat. commutare=to change; referring to the leaves which are changed from green to silver-gray.)

English Name(s):

Silverberry,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• 1-2 meters tall.
• Stoloniferous shrubs.
• Branches brown-scaly.

Leaves:

• Simple and margins entire (smooth).
• 1.3-7.0 cm long by 0.5-3.0 cm wide.
• Alternate
• Elliptic to lanceolate to oblanceolate in shape.
• Silvery on both sides and brownish-scaly below.

Reproductive Parts:

• Calyx (sepals) united, 4-lobed.
• Flowers in clusters from the leaf axils.
• Petals lacking.
• Stamens (male parts) 4.
• Calyx (sepals) yellow in inside and silvery-yellow on outside.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual).
• Flowers sweet-scented, numerous, almost sessile (stalkless).

Seed:

• Fruit is fleashy and drupe-like (berry-like).
• Fruit is formed by a dry achene surounded by the fleshy persistent perianth.
• The achene is indehiscent (not opening).
• Fruit 6-10 mm long, mealy, silvery, scaly, on a short pedicel (stalk).

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

• The flowers sweet scent can be detected from 100's of meters downwind and can be over powering to some people.
• Uses its stolons (horizontal rooting stems) to reproduce vegitatively. Often found in patches of many clones.

Life Cycle:

• perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Leaves deciduous (falling off)
• Blooms in late spring.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Forming patches on riverbanks, floodplains, and steep rocky slopes.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: