Addisonia 69 



(Plate 155) 

 ELAEAGNUS MULTIFLORA 



Goumi 



Native of Japan and China 

 Family Ela^agnacbab Oleaster Family 



Elaeagnus muUiflora Thunb. Fl. Jap. 60. 1784. 



Elaeagnus longipes A Gray, Mem. Am. Acad. II. 6: 405. 1858. 



Elaeagnus edulis Sieb.; May, Rev. Hort. 1876: 18. 1876. 



A much-branched shrub, up to six feet tall, the branchlets covered 

 with reddish brown scales, the fragrant flowers yellowish white, in 

 the leaf-axils, and the fruit scarlet. The leaves are alternate, with 

 petioles a half inch long or less. The blades are up to two and a 

 half inches long and an inch and a quarter wide, oval, elliptic, ovate, 

 or obovate-oblong, the apex acute or rather abruptly acuminate, 

 the base cuneate ; the upper surface often has stellate hairs when 

 young, later becoming glabrous; the lower surface is entirely cov- 

 ered with silvery scales, with a few scattered brown ones. The 

 pendulous flowers are single, or in clusters of two or three, on pedi- 

 cels, as long as themselves or longer, thickly covered with reddish 

 brown scales. The perianth, thickly covered with scales, has a 

 marked constriction toward the base, below which it is ellipsoid, 

 above bell-shaped; it has four broadly ovate acute or somewhat 

 obtuse lobes about as long as the tube. The four stamens have 

 short Aliments inserted near the mouth of the perianth. The style 

 is linear, shorter than the perianth. The scarlet oblong fruit is 

 pendulous, on pedicels as long as or longer than themselves, and 

 ripens in July or August. 



This shrub is attractive on account of its numerous odorous 

 flowers, of a spicy fragrance, and its bright fruit which is usually 

 borne in great abundance. It will thrive in almost any well-drained 

 soil, preferring a sunny situation. The fruit has an agreeable 

 sHghtly acid flavor, and might prove valuable for preserving. The 

 specimen from which the illustration was prepared has been in the 

 collections of the New York Botanical Garden since 1895, and was 

 obtained from the Arnold Arboretum. 



The genus Elaeagnus comprises about forty known species, 

 found in the Mediterranean region and temperate and tropical 

 Asia, with one species in temperate North America. Many of 

 them are of great decorative value on account of their handsome 

 foliage and striking fruit; the flowers, while inconspicuous, are 

 usually fragrant. Almost any well-drained soil suits them, but a 



