Russet Buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis Oleaster family (Elaeagnaceae)
Also known as Soapberry and Bearberry, the plant's are a favorite of many Native American tribes -- and bears. Whipped with equal parts water and sugar, the extract becomes "Indian Ice Cream." contains small amounts of saponin which give the its soapy consistency. It is reported that individuals who consume the are less likely to be bitten by mosquitoes. In 1753 Linnaeus named this species Hippophae canadensis; it was given its present name in 1818 by Thomas Nuttall.
Thornless shrub, 3-9' tall, twigs brown-scaly. , , oval, or ; green and nearly above, covered with very obvious rusty below (use a hand lens). Species is with male and female flowers on different plants. Tiny yellow solitary or few flowers (4 and no petals), appear on stems in very early spring before leaves. (soapy when crushed) are tart, bright red -like (-like) appearing in late summer to early fall. are eaten by wide range of birds and mammals.
scale -- A very small leaf around a dormant bud. Also other things that
might remind one of fish scales on the surface of ferns, stems and the like.
achene -- a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants.
For example, a rose hip holds a few achenes.
In an opposite leaf arrangement the leaves come in pairs
with one leaf on each side of a stem.
Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud,
and often as support for the petals when in bloom.
dioecious -- When male and female reproductive structures are on separate plants.
Deciduous plants are those that lose all of their leaves for part of the year.
fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants.
It is formed from the ovary after flowering.
In an opposite leaf arrangement the leaves come in pairs
with one leaf on each side of a stem.
The botanical term "berry" is different from common usage. Strawberries and raspberries are not berries.
But a tomatoe is. A true berry is a fruit with the seeds immersed in the pulp.
elliptic -- Oval, with no point or a very short point.
drupe -- A fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a hardened shell containing a seed.
A peach is a drupe. A raspberry is composed of drupelets.
glabrous -- smooth, glossy, having no bristles or hair-like structures. Bald.
lanceolate -- Lance-shaped. Long, wider in the middle.
