Hippophae

Hippophae is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. They are deciduous shrubs. They are exceptionally hardy plants, able to withstand winter temperatures as low as . As Hippophae species develop an aggressive and extensive root system, they are planted to inhibit soil erosion and used in land reclamation for their nitrogen fixing properties, wildlife habitat, and soil enrichment. Hippophae berries and leaves are manufactured into various human and animal food and skincare products.

==Species and description== The shrubs reach tall, rarely up to in central Asia. The leaf arrangement can be alternate or opposite. 'Plants of the World Online includes the following species: Hippophae × goniocarpa is a natural hybrid of H. neurocarpa and H. sinensis which grows in mountainous regions in Nepal, Mongolia and China. Hippophae gyantsensis Hippophae litangensis Hippophae neurocarpa Hippophae rhamnoides : Common sea buckthorn has dense and stiff branches, and are very thorny. The leaves are a distinct pale silvery-green, lanceolate, long, and less than broad. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The male produces brownish flowers which produce wind-distributed pollen. The female plants produce orange berries in diameter, soft, juicy, and rich in oils. The roots distribute rapidly and extensively, providing a nonleguminous nitrogen fixation role in surrounding soils. Hippophae salicifolia (willow-leaved sea buckthorn) is restricted to the Himalayas, to the south of the common sea buckthorn, growing at high altitudes in dry valleys; it differs from H. rhamnoides in having broader (to ) and greener (less silvery) leaves, and yellow berries. A wild variant occurs in the same area, but at even higher altitudes in the alpine zone. It is a low shrub not growing taller than with small leaves long. Hippophae sinensis Hippophae tibetana thumb|right|Hippophae rhamnoides|Common sea buckthorn