Hippophaë

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 1023. 1753. (as Hippophae)

Common names: Seaberry
Etymology: Greek hippos, of horse, and phaeos, splendor, probably alluding to ancient use of silvery leaves as horse fodder to supposedly make their coats shine or boost their energy
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Trees or shrubs, dioecious, armed, clonal from root crowns. Stems glabrescent, trichomes gray. Leaves deciduous, alternate; petiolate or sessile; blade linear or linear-lanceolate, base attenuate or oblique, apex acute or rounded, surfaces covered with silver-green scales, silver-gray abaxially, dark gray-green adaxially, hairs sparsely interspersed with brown scales. Inflorescences spikes (in staminate plants) or racemes (in pistillate plants), appearing before leaves. Pedicels present or absent. Flowers unisexual; hypanthium inconspicuous; calyx lobes 2; nectary disc inconspicuous; stamens 4, alternate and opposite calyx lobes; style inconspicuous; stigma sessile, capitate. Fruits drupelike, orange or yellow-orange, fleshy. Seeds smooth. x = 12.

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, Asia.

Discussion

Species ca. 4 (1 in the flora).

Unlike other genera of Elaeagnaceae, Hippophaë is wind-pollinated and the flowers are unscented. Flowers are conspicuous in spring because they develop before the leaves; in fall, the plants blaze with large clusters of bright orange fruits. The fruits are a rich source of vitamin C; the juice may protect against arsenic toxicity (R. Gupta and S. J. Flora 2005).

Selected References

None.

... more about "Hippophaë"
Leila M. Shultz +  and William A. Varga +
Linnaeus +
Seaberry +
Europe +  and Asia. +
Greek hippos, of horse, and phaeos, splendor, probably alluding to ancient use of silvery leaves as horse fodder to supposedly make their coats shine or boost their energy +
Hippophaë +
Elaeagnaceae +