glossy buckthorn Rhamnaceae Frangula alnus

Leaf:Alternate, simple, elliptical to oblong or obovate, 2 to 4 inches long, entire, veins are parallel but near edges of leaf turn and follow the edge, shiny green above, may be pale pubescent beneath, petiole short and pubescent.
Flower:Very small and inconspicuous, pale yellow-green, bell-shaped, appearing in leaf axils in late spring after the leaves.
Fruit:A small (1/4 inch) round drupe at first red but later turning black, juicy flesh, ripens in late summer.
Twig:Slender, reddish brown with gray pubescence; buds naked and tan with fuzz; 3 bundle scars, lacking thorns.
Bark:Smooth gray-brown with a few obvious slightly raised lenticels, may become shallowly fissured on larger stems.
Form:Upright shrub or small tree (to 20 feet) with a spreading, open crown.

leaf flower fruit twig bark form map

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