• Family : Elaeagnaceae
  (Oleaster Family)
• Family (Hindi name) : ELAEAGNUS FAMILY
• Family (as per The APG System III) : Elaeagnaceae
• Basionym : Hippophae turkestanica (Rousi) Tzvelev
• Synonym(s) : Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. pamiroalaica Avdeev
• Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica Rousi
• Common name : Leh Berry, Sea-buckthorn
• Vernacular name : Tsermang, Sastalulu (Ladakhi)
• Habit : Shrub
• Habitat : River belts and watselands
• Comments / notes : Sea-buckthorn berries are edible and nutritious, though very acidic (astringent) and oily, unpleasant to eat raw, unless 'bletted' (frosted to reduce the astringency) and/or mixed as a juice with sweeter substances such as apple or grape juice.
• Key identification features : Crown is irregular in shape with spiny, grey branches. Leaves are linear-lanceshaped, alternate, 2-6 cm long, covered on both sides with silvery-white scales, undersides with brown dots. Flowers are inconspicuous, yellow, unisexual appearing before leaves.
• Flower, Fruit : July-September
• Distribution :
  • Ladakh : Leh district
• Native : Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tadzhikistan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya, Xinjiang
• Exotic/Native : Native
• Literature : Photographs of K.Sankara Rao
• Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Navendu Page, Deepak Kumar (2020). Pan India Bouquets. http://flora-peninsula-indica.ces.iisc.ac.in/pan/plants.php?name=Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica. Downloaded on 1 June 2023.

Field Image(s)