3. HIPPOPHAË Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1023. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 449. 1754. (as Hippophae).
[I]
Seaberry [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]
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.
Species ca. 4 (1 in the flora): introduced; Europe, Asia.
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 Bartish, I. V. et al. 2000. Inter- and intraspecific genetic variation in Hippophaë (Elaeagnaceae) investigated by RAPD markers. Pl. Syst. Evol. 225: 85–101. Lian, Y., Chen X., and Lian H. 1998. Systematic classification of the genus Hippophaë L. Seabuckthorn Res. 1: 13–23. Rousi, A. 1971. The genus Hippophaë L. A taxonomic study. Ann. Bot. Fenn. 8: 177–227.
