''Elaeagnus latifolia'', known as the bastard oleaster, or soh-sang, is a species of ''

Elaeagnus ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or smal ...

'' native to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

Description

''Elaeagnus latifolia'' is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to ten feet tall. It has alternate pinnately compound leaves. The plant gives off a dark pink or bright red and speckled berry, oblong in shape and around the size of a grape or in diameter. The ripe fruit is pulpy with a sweet and slightly sour taste. The fruit stays on the tree for only for a short time of 4–5 weeks between September and October (Basumatary et al. 2020). The fruit of the plant species is used for making chutney, jam, jelly and refreshing drinks.

Habitat

''E. latifolia'' is widely distributed from south-eastern Asia to the slopes of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. It is also found in northeast India, Thailand, and Vietnam. They inhabit dense swamps at about 1,500 feet above sea level in the Himalayas as well as dwelling in vast forest openings in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It is suitable for growing in moist soil with any pH value and can also adapt to growing in regions where the soil is dry. Since ''E. latifolia'' can thrive in both moist and dry conditions, it can tolerate the most intense droughts. ''E. latifolia'' shares a symbiotic relationship with soil-dwelling bacteria that perform nitrogen fixation. The fruit is considered "unusual" because the fruit contains several "good" fatty acids, and was investigated for possible use against

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

.Patel, Ramkishor. (2008)
SOH-SHANG (ELAEAGNUS LATIFOLIA): AN UNDER-UTILIZED FRUIT OF NORTH EAST REGION NEEDS DOMESTICATION.
ENVIS Bulletin : Himalayan Ecology. 16. 1-2.

Cultivation

The cultivation of ''Elaeagnus latifolia'' is mostly done in well drained soils. ''E. latifolia'' prefers soil that is moderately fertile which causes it to succeed in poor soils and dry soils. ''E. latifolia'' requires to grow in a position where there is plenty of sunlight. Outside of the native regions, ''E. latifolia'' is also cultivated in

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, however it is unlikely to succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country. ''E. latifolia'' is known to be resistant to

honey fungus ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the '' A. mellea'' species ('honey fungus') that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armillaria'' sp. are long-live ...

, and it can also grow with orchards which increases yield from the fruit trees.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q10801011 latifolia Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753 Flora of the Indian subcontinent Flora of Indo-China