Botanical description
These plants are deciduous shrubs or small trees growing 3.5 m tall, with a dense, thorny crown. 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, silvery-scaled yellow, ripening to red dotted with silver or brown[9].Uses
Toxic parts
Material uses
Wood
Medicinal uses(Warning!)
The seeds are used as a stimulant in the treatment of coughs[10]. The expressed oil from the seeds is used in the treatment of pulmonary affections[10].
The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[11].Flowers
Seed
Ecology
Ecosystem niche/layer
Canopy, Secondary canopy or Shrub
Ecological Functions
Hedge
Windbreak
Nitrogen fixer
Forage
Bumble Bee
Shelter
Nothing listed.
Propagation
Seed
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[12]. It should germinate in late winter or early spring, though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking more than 18 months. A warm stratification for 4 weeks followed by 12 weeks cold stratification can help[13]. The seed usually (eventually) germinates quite well[12]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pot as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when they are at least 15cm tall.
Rooted cuttings
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage[12]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 10 - 12cm with a heel, November in a frame. Leave for 12 months. Fair to good percentage[12].
Cultivation
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -40°c[7]. This species is somewhat similar to E. multiflora, but it flowers a few weeks later[16]. Sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[5]. 'Cardinal' and 'Red Wing' are very good fruiting forms (developed for ornament and not for fruit quality)[16]. 'Jazbo' has been bred for its edible fruits which are said to be ripe when 'they drop into your hand'[11]. This makes them valuable in breeding programmes to develop easily harvested fruits[11]. Flowers are rich in nectar and very aromatic, they are much visited by bees. Polymorphic[14][17]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[18][7]. Plants can fruit in 6 years from seed[4].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[4][7]. An excellent companion plant, when grown in orchards it can increase yields from the fruit trees by up to 10%.Crops
Problems, pests & diseases
Associations & Interactions
There are no interactions listed for Elaeagnus umbellata. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.
Polycultures & Guilds
There are no polycultures listed which include Elaeagnus umbellata.
Descendants
Cultivars
Varieties
None listed.
Subspecies
None listed.
Full Data
This table shows all the data stored for this plant.
"image:Elaeagnus umbellata2.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
References
- ? 1.01.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (32202/01/01)
- ? 2.02.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (32202/01/01)
- ? 3.03.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (32202/01/01)
- ? 4.04.14.24.34.4 Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987. ()
- ? 5.05.15.2 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (32202/01/01)
- ? 6.06.16.26.36.46.56.6 Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. (32202/01/01)
- ? 7.07.17.27.37.47.57.67.7 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (32202/01/01)
- ? 8.08.1 Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh (32202/01/01)
-
? Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwikipedia - ? 10.010.110.210.3 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (32202/01/01)
- ? 11.011.111.211.3 Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society ISBN 1352-4186 (32202/01/01)
- ? 12.012.112.212.312.4 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (32202/01/01)
- ? 13.013.1 Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. ()
- ? 14.014.114.214.314.4 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (32202/01/01)
- ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (32202/01/01)
- ? 16.016.1 Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (32202/01/01)
- ? www.foj.info Flora of Japan ()
- ? RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society (32202/01/01)
- ? Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (32202/01/01)
- ? Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution (32202/01/01)
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"image:Elaeagnus umbellata2.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.
