304 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SHRUBS 



KEY TO THE SILVEEY-SCALED SHRUBS — EL^ AG- 

 NUS, HIPPOPHOE, AND SHEPHEEDIA 



* Leaves alternate, deciduous ; hardy ; flowering in tlie spring, April- 

 June. (A.) 

 A'. Branchlets and under sides of the leaves silvery-white without 

 any brown or reddish scales ; shrubs or trees to 20 feet with 

 leaves 2-3 inches long. (B.) 

 B. Leaves entire and not crisped at edges; berries usually large, 

 oval, yellow coated with silvery scales, axillary, 1-3 in a clus- 

 ter. Often spiny (the most spiny form is Spiny Oleaster 

 (532), var. spinbsa) : RnssiAN 'Olive,' Garden El^agnus 

 or Oleaster (530) (531) — Elaeagnus angustif61ia. 



B. Leaves crisped at edges ; flowers and fruit crowded on short 

 side shoots ; berries nearly globular, silvery when young, pink 

 in summer when ripe (\ inch long). Small-leaved El.2eag- 

 Nus (533) — ElEeagnus parvifblia. 



A. Branchlets with reddish or brownish scales, sometimes with 

 some silvery scales ; leaves silvery below but frequently with 

 brownish scales. (C.) 



C. Fruit decidedly juicy, some shade of red or scarlet, edible. (D.) 

 D. Eruit nearly globular, short^stalked, erect, J inch long, ripe 



Sept. or Oct.; leaves crisped at edge and without brown 

 scales beneath. Shrub to 12 feet, often spiny. J-apanese 

 Oleaster (534) • — Elaeagnus umbeliata. 

 D. Eruit oval, erect or nodding, ripe July or Aug. on stems 

 about as long as the fruit, \ inch; leaves with a few brown 

 scales beneath, not crisped at edges. Spreading shrub .to 

 8 feet. El^agnus — Elseagnus multiflbra. 

 . D. Fruit pendulous, oblong, | inch long on stems over an inch 

 long, ripe June or July. Shrub to 6 feet. Japanese Goumi 

 (535) — Elaeagnus Idngipes. 

 C. Fruit rather dry, silvery white, oval, \-^ inch long on short 

 stems, ripe July, Aug. Erect spineless shrub to 12 feet; leaves 

 silvery on both sides and with brownish scales beneath. 

 El^agnus or SiLVERBERRY — Eljeagnus argfetea. 

 C. Fruit somewhat poisonous, though eaten by birds, bright orange, 

 globular (J inch), in clusters, found in abundance but only on 

 a portion of the plants as the flowers are dioecious ; leaves very 

 slender, grayish gr,een above and silvery below. Brjinches end- 

 ing in sharp spines. Sea Buckthorn (536) — Hippophae 

 rhamnoides. 



