Shepherdia canadensis : Soapberry

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

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

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster Family)

Genera: Shepherdia (Buffaloberry) (Named for the English botanist, W. Shepherd, 1764-1836.)

Species: canadensis (Canadian)

English Name(s):

Soapberry, Buffaloberry, Canada Buffaloberry

First Nation Names:

dinjik jak = moose berry

Structure:

• Branches erect-ascending, opposite, brown-scaly.
• Shurbs about 1 meter tall.

Leaves:

• Simple and margins entire (smooth).
• Elliptical to ovate in shape.
• Opposite
• Underside densely covered in silvery, star-shaped hairs and brown scales.
• Upper side green, with with star-shaped hairs or glabrate (hairless).

Reproductive Parts:

• Calyx (sepals) united, 4-lobed.
• Flowers in clusters from the leaf axils.
• Petals lacking.
• Stamens (male parts) 8.
• Calyx (sepals) 2-3 mm long, yellow on inside, brownish on outside.
• Flowers imperfect (unisexual) and plants dioecious (male or female).
• Flowers 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 juicy, orange-red to red .

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

• The fruit contain saponin. If you crush a couple berries in your hands and rub them the saponin will froth up or lather up like soap, hence the common name of this shrub.

Life Cycle:

• perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Leaves deciduous (falling off)
• The 'berries' will stay on the shrub into winter. And are said to sweeten up after some frosts.

Animal Uses:

• Although very bitter to us, the fruit is enjoyed by many birds and mammals.
• The Northern Chipmunk which just barely enters the Central Yukon harvests the seeds and discards the pulp.
• They are an important food for Grizzly and Black Bears.

Habitat:

• Likes dry locations and usually calcareous soils.
• River banks, clearings in spruce woods, alpine and subalpine slopes and open woods.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

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Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: