OregonFlora: Elaeagnus angustifolia

	Elaeagnus angustifolia
	oleaster, Russian olive
Leaves	lanceolate or very narrowly oblong or elliptic, 25–91 × 6–18 mm; (3)4–8 × as long as wide, bases rounded to acute; margins entire; tips bluntly acute; surfaces abaxially silvery white, adaxially dull green; petioles 6–10 mm.
Inflorescences	pedicels 2–4 mm.
Flowers	1–3 per leaf axil; hypanthia 4–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, uniformly silvery white outside, yellow inside; calyx lobes 2–4 mm.
Fruits	ellipsoidal, 8–12 × 7–8 mm, yellow, mealy.
Small trees	5–7 m; scales silver; young twigs silvery white.
2n	=28.

	Elaeagnus angustifolia
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Riverbanks, creeks, dry washes, roadsides, sagebrush areas, grasslands. Flowering May–Jun. 0–1500 m. BR, Col, ECas, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, east to Nova Scotia and VA, southeast to TX; Asia, Europe. Exotic. Russian olive is often planted in arid areas, where few woody plants will survive. It is tolerant of saline or alkaline soil as well as heat and drought. It has escaped and become naturalized throughout the drier parts of North America. Sterile specimens resemble Shepherdia argentea but are easily distinguished by the alternate leaves.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 611 Alan Whittemore
Sibling taxa	E. commutata, E. umbellata
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Elaeagnus angustifolia

oleaster, Russian olive

Leaves

lanceolate or very narrowly oblong or elliptic, 25–91 × 6–18 mm; (3)4–8 × as long as wide, bases rounded to acute;

margins entire;

tips bluntly acute;

surfaces abaxially silvery white, adaxially dull green;

petioles 6–10 mm.

Inflorescences

pedicels 2–4 mm.

Flowers

1–3 per leaf axil; hypanthia 4–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, uniformly silvery white outside, yellow inside;

calyx lobes 2–4 mm.

Fruits

ellipsoidal, 8–12 × 7–8 mm, yellow, mealy.

Small trees

5–7 m;

scales silver; young twigs silvery white.

=28.

Elaeagnus angustifolia

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Riverbanks, creeks, dry washes, roadsides, sagebrush areas, grasslands. Flowering May–Jun. 0–1500 m. BR, Col, ECas, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, east to Nova Scotia and VA, southeast to TX; Asia, Europe. Exotic.

Russian olive is often planted in arid areas, where few woody plants will survive. It is tolerant of saline or alkaline soil as well as heat and drought. It has escaped and become naturalized throughout the drier parts of North America. Sterile specimens resemble Shepherdia argentea but are easily distinguished by the alternate leaves.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 611
Alan Whittemore

Sibling taxa

E. commutata, E. umbellata

Web links