Elæágnus lóngipes. (Silver-leaved Elæagnus.) Leaves almost evergreen, rather thick, ovate-oblong, rather blunt, entire, smooth and dark green above, but silvery below. Flowers inconspicuous. Fruit about ½ in. long, bright red, with silvery scales, very abundant and beautiful; ripe in July; juicy and edible, with a pungent flavor. Shrub from Japan; hardy throughout.
Genus 72. SHEPHÉRDIA.
Small trees or shrubs with opposite, deciduous, entire, silvery-scaled leaves. Flowers very small, diœcious. Fruit small, berry-like, translucent, 1-seeded.
S. argéntea.
Shephérdia argéntea, Nutt. (Buffalo-berry. Rabbit-berry.) Leaves opposite, oblong-ovate, tapering at base, silvery on both sides, with small peltate scales. Branches often ending in sharp thorns. Fruit, scarlet berries the size of currants, forming continuous clusters on every branch and twig, but found only on the pistillate plants. They are juicy, somewhat sour, pleasant-tasting, and make excellent jelly; ripe in September. A small handsome tree, 5 to 20 ft. high, wild in the Rocky Mountains, and sometimes cultivated east. Its thorny-tipped branches make it a good hedge-plant. Hardy.
Order XXXV. EUPHORBIÀCEÆ.
(Spurge Family.)
A large order of mainly herbaceous and shrubby plants of warm countries, with usually milky juice.
Genus 73. BÚXUS.