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ELAEAGNACEAE

OLEASTER FAMILY

Elizabeth McClintock

Shrub, tree, sometimes ± dioecious, often thorny, generally densely silvery-hairy throughout; hairs often scale-like
Leaves simple, alternate or opposite, generally deciduous, entire; petiole generally short; stipules 0
Inflorescence generally umbel-like, axillary; flowers 1–few
Flower radial; hypanthium rotate to salverform, lower part generally receptacle-like, persistent, with a disk, becoming fleshy; sepals (hypanthium lobes) generally 4, ± petal-like; petals 0; anthers 4 or 8, ± sessile; ovary superior (appearing inferior), chamber 1, style 1
Fruit: achene enclosed in fleshy hypanthium, the whole drupe- or berry-like
Genera in family: 3 genera, ± 45 species: North America, Eur, Asia, e Australia; especially temp, subtropical
Reference: [Graham 1964 J Arnold Arbor 45:274–278]