A small tree or shrub, often spiny. Shoots covered with peltate scales. Leaves 2-9 cm long, 0.8-3 cm broad, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, dull green above, with peltate and stellate hairs, lower surface sometimes with ferruginous scales. Petiole 2-6 mm long. Flowers in axillary clusters of 2-4. Pedicel 3.5-6.5 mm long. Perianth tube 0.8-1 cm long, tubular; tepals 4, ovate, 2.5 mm long, yellow inside; anthers subsessile, c. 2 mm long; style 7-10 mm long, stellately hairy. Fruit 8-9 mm long, elliptic-ovoid, succulent, covered with scales when young; endocarp not hard, 8-ribbed, woolly within.
Type locality: Described from Japan.
Distribution: Japan, Assam, China, Afghanistan and the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan.
A deciduous tree or shrub with fragrant yellow flowers. Common in the Himalayas in dry exposed places from 1000-3300 m. It is also cultivated. The fruit is edible. The following specimens, without flowers and fruit and with the habit of Elaeagnus umbellatus Thunb., but leaves with dense soft pubescence on the under surfaces, may with further material represent a different taxon. They have been provisionally placed here.
A-7 Gilgit: cult., R.R. Stewart s.n., p.p. (RAW); C-6 Kurram: Parachinar, R.R. Stewart 28038 (RAW).
