Elaeagnus umbellata

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Elaeagnus umbellata is known as Japanese silverberry, umbellata oleaster, autumn olive, autumn elaeagnus, or spreading oleaster. The species is indigenous to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to Japan. Because it fixes atmospheric nitrogen in its roots, it often grows vigorously and sometimes competitively in infertile soils, Though this can be considered beneficial as They enrich the soil and benefit nearby plants, when grown in orchards it can increase yields of fruit trees up to 10% despite this, it is sometimes considered a noxious weed and invasive species in many world regions.

Video Elaeagnus umbellata

Description

Elaeagnus umbellata grows as a deciduous shrub or small tree, typically up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) tall, with a dense crown. It commonly bears sharp thorns in the form of spur branches. Flowers are fragrant and occur in clusters of white to yellow, 8-9 mm in length and 7 mm in diameter, and have four lobes.

The leaves are alternate, 4-10 cm long and 2-4 cm wide with wavy margins. The leaves are covered with minute silvery scales when they emerge early in spring, but turn greener above as the scales wear off during the summer. The underside is more intensely covered in the silvery scales, differing from the related E. angustifolia, which remains silvery until it sheds its leaves in the fall.

The red fruits are pulpy, juicy and sweet, 3-9 mm in length, 5 mm in diameter, and average 137 milligrams in weight, with a thin skin covering the whole fruit.

Maps Elaeagnus umbellata

Flowers

The flowers are borne in the leaf axils in clusters of 1-7. They are pale yellowish-white, fragrant, (often heavily fragrant) and have a four-lobed corolla 1 cm long. The fruit is a small round drupe 1/4 to 1/3 inches (0.65 to 0.85 cm) in diameter. The unripe fruit is silvery-scaled and yellow. It ripens to red, dotted with silver or brown.

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Fruit

When ripe, the edible fruits are juicy and sweet, and also make good jams, preserves, and dried fruit. They are tart-tasting, with chewable seeds. Fruit content of the carotenoid, lycopene, is more than in tomatoes. It may be used as a crop, providing an abundance of edible fruit and a tolerance of poor soils.

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Naturalization and invasiveness

In its origin regions of tropical and temperate Asia, E. umbellata is not considered to be an invasive species, but in many world regions, it has become invasive across wild and cultivated areas. Due to its substantial seed production and avid germination potential, E. umbellata rapidly invades new areas where it can resprout readily after burning or cutting. Because E. umbellata stands are habitats for wildlife, such as providing forage and shelter for deer, nesting sites for birds, and berries as food for several species, it has been planted for wildlife management in parts of the United States.

In Europe, it has spread to Belgium, France, and Italy, but has been cultivated in the Netherlands and Scotland. In some parts of North America where it has become naturalized, E. umbellata is considered a noxious weed. It is a "prohibited noxious weed" under the Alberta Weed Control Act 2010.

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Gallery

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References

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External links

• Media related to Elaeagnus umbellata (category) at Wikimedia Commons
• Elaeagnus umbellata images; Bioimages from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

Source of article : Wikipedia