Millaa vine
Elaeagnus triflora

Family: Elaeagnaceae

What it is like

A vine or climber. It can be 10 m tall. The stems are erect but is leans of plants nearby. The leaves are pointed at both ends and carried alternately.Young shoots have silvery scales. The leaves are simple and 3-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The leaves are silvery underneath. The flowers are in spikes or clusters in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The flowers are 0.5 cm across. The fruit is 2 cm long by 1.2 cm wide. They hang singly or in bunches in the axils of leaves. There is one seed inside. It is 1.8 cm long by 0.8 cm wide. The flesh of the fruit is edible.

There are 45 Elaeagnus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in upland tropical rain forest. It grows up to 1,800 m above sea level. They are distributed throughout the islands of the Philippines and common in northern provinces. They grow in areas of shrub at low and medium altitudes up to 1500m. It is very salt tolerant. It can only tolerate very slight frost. It can grow on a range of soils and will grow on alkaline soils. Adelaide Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, East Timor, Hawaii, Indonesia, Malaysia, Malesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit can be eaten raw and used for jam.

The fruit are often eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It can be grown from fresh seed or cuttings. It can be pruned to maintain shape.

Its other names

Local names

Alingaro, Areuj dudureman, Banaken, Bennaken, Gumi, Hail hail, Kenintju, Kopapey, Lingaro, Millaa Millaa, Suytuk

Synonyms

Elaeagnus alingaro Schltdl.; Elaeagnus cumingii Schltdl.; Elaeagnus ferruginea Rich.; Elaeagnus latiflora L.; Elaeagnus philippensis Perr.; Elaeagnus philippinensis Perr.; Elaeagnus rigida Blume; Elaeagnus rostrata Servett.; Elaeagnus zollingeri Servett.; and others