E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Elaeagnus commutata Bernh. ex Rydb.
silverberry (wolf-willow)
Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Bryan Kelly-McArthur  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #86436)

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Distribution of Elaeagnus commutata
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Species Information

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General:
Deciduous shrub from a strong rhizome; stems silvery- to brownish-scaled, branched, old branches dark greyish-red, young twigs brown or green, 1-4 m tall.
Leaves:
Alternate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 2-7 cm long, short-stalked, silvery-scaly on both surfaces, wavy-margined.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1 to 3 short-stalked, nodding flowers in axillary clusters; corollas yellow within, silvery outside, funnel-shaped with 4 lobes, 6-14 mm long, aromatic; stamens 4.
Fruits:
Single achenes enclosed in silvery-mealy berries, 9-12 mm long, egg-shaped.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Red
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry sand and gravel bars, meadows, shrublands and forest edges in the steppe and montane zones; frequent in BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and S to MN, ND and UT.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Elaeagnus commutata

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres) 320 717 1150
Slope Gradient (%) 0 23 90
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		4 193 335
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		1 3 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class		 D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 70
Modal BEC Zone Class
 IDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BG(19), BWBS(17), IDF(24), MS(1), PP(7)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Elaeagnus argentea Pursh, non Moench

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links


Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-10 12:37:11 PM ]
Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.
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