Elaeagnus glabra Thunb.

Modern name

There is much confusion in gardens between this species and E. pungens, but E. glabra differs in the following respects. It is not thorny, its longer-pointed leaves are of thinner texture, not undulate, their lower surface brown and shining with a metallic lustre (E. pungens is whitish and dull beneath); and it is of more rambling, even climbing habit. For the rest, E. glabra is a vigorous evergreen shrub, with us 15 to 20 ft high, but twice as much on trees and houses in the south of France. The flowers appear in October and November, and are funnel-shaped, white, clothed with brownish scales, fragrant. Young shoots slender, covered with brown, glossy scales.

Native of Japan and China. There appears to be no variegated form of E. glabra in cultivation.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

As mentioned in the later impressions of Volume II this species is rare in cultivation but is in the Kew collection.

Genus

Elaeagnus

Other species in the genus

Modern name

Some names used by Bean have now been superseded and are no longer familiar. To ensure that all plants can be easily found, under any name, we have cross-referenced to The Plant List, a collaboration between RBG Kew, Missouri Botanical Gardens and other organisations, which aims to provide a currently accepted name for any plant. Not all taxonomists will agree with all Plant List nomenclature, but it provides a baseline to compare names. For each species above, clicking on the Modern Name will link to the entry for that name on The Plant List website.