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• Elaeagnaceae
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• Elaeagnus angustifolia

Elaeagnus angustifolia — Russian-olive

Facts

Russian-olive is native to southern Europe and western Asia, but has been planted extensively throughout the U.S. as a windbreak, ornamental shrub, soil stabilizer, and wildlife attractant. As such, it has spread aggressively and is regarded as an invasive species throughout much of the western U.S. It can occupy a large number of habitats, but prefers moist soils. The species can fix nitrogen, so is an early colonizer in disturbed places. Its narrow, silvery leaves, fragrant yellow flowers, and lustrous brown bark are unmistakeable.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Buds or leaf scars

  Bud scale number

  there are two scales on the winter bud, and their edges meet

  Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)

  NA

  Collateral buds

  there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches

  Leaf scar arrangement

  there is one leaf scar per node on the stem or twig

  Superposed buds

  there are no superposed buds on the branch

  Winter bud scales

  the winter bud is perulate (partially or completely covered with one or more scales)

  Winter bud shape

  the winter buds are ovoid (egg-shaped)

  Winter bud stalks

  the winter buds have no stalks

• Flowers

  Anther color

  the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint

  Enlarged sterile flowers

  there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant

  Flower appearance

  the flowers appear at the same time as the leaves

  Flower petal color

  NA

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)

  NA

  Hypanthium present

  the flower has a hypanthium

  Inflorescence position

  the inflorescences grow on the twigs

  Inflorescence type

  • the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
  • the inflorescence has only one flower on it
  • the inflorescence is a fascicle (compact cluster of flowers)

  Number of pistils

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal appearance

  • NA
  • the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal fusion

  • NA
  • the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals resemble petals in color and texture

  Sepal cilia (Ilex)

  NA

  Sepal tip glands

  there are no glands at the tips of the sepal lobes

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases

  Stamen number

  4

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the sepals (antesepalous)

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not fused to one another

• Fruits or seeds

  Berry color

  • NA
  • some other color
  • yellow

  Fruit tissue origin

  the hypanthium of the flower becomes part of the fruit

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is fleshy

  Fruit type (specific)

  • the fruit is a drupe (fleshy, with a firm inner ovary wall that encloses a single seed)
  • the fruit is an achene (dry, usually 1-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)

  Nut with spines (Fagaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  there are no wings on the fruit

• Glands or sap

  Sap color

  the sap is clear and watery

  Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)

  NA

• Growth form

  Growth form

  • the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
  • the plant is a tree

• Leaves

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

  the underside of the leaf has hairs on it

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade bloom

  there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes

  Leaf blade edges (Acer)

  NA

  Leaf blade flatness

  • the edges of the leaf are curled up
  • the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges

  Leaf blade hairs

  • at least some of the hairs on the leaf blade are branched
  • the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given

  Leaf blade length

  25–100 mm

  Leaf blade scales

  there are scales on the leaf blades

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)

  Leaf blade texture

  • the leaf blade is chartaceous (thin and dry like paper)
  • the leaf blade is membranaceous (thin, flexible, almost translucent)

  Leaf blade translucent dots

  there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  the main veins of the leaf blade are pinnate (the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the main central vein) and non-arcuate (not arched towards the leaf tip)

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base toward the tip

  Leaf blade width

  4–40 mm

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)

  Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)

  NA

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk nectaries

  there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk

  Leaf stalk shape

  the leaf stalk is not flattened

  Leaf teeth

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)

  NA

  Leaf type

  the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant, or they fall off as the leaf expands

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • edges of forests
  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant has a pleasantly aromatic odor

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Aerial roots

  the plant has no aerial roots

  Bark texture

  • the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
  • the bark of an adult plant peels off easily or hangs off

  Branch brittleness (willows only)

  NA

  Branch cross-section

  the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles

  First-year cane (Rubus)

  NA

  Lenticels on twigs

  there are clearly lenticels on the twigs

  Pith shape

  the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round

  Short shoots

  there are peg- or knob-like shoots present

  Twig bloom

  there is no bloom on the twig

  Twig hairs

  the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands

  Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)

  NA

  Twig scales

  there are scales on the twig surface

  Twig winter color

  • brown
  • gray
  • purple
  • red

  Wings on branch

  the branch does not have wings on it

  armature on plant

  the plant has spines, prickles, or thorns

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae