Hippophae salicifolia , sea buckthorn, is a thorny Himalayan shrub that produces one of the most nutrient-dense fruits known. It is also one of the few medicinal plants where the useful part can be harvested without killing the plant — which makes it an unusually positive conservation story, and a useful contrast in an exam answer. Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids Order Rosales Family Elaeagnaceae Genus Hippophae Species Hippophae salicifolia D. Don Common names Sea buckthorn, seabuckthorn How to identify it Habit. A deciduous, much-branched, thorny shrub or small tree , typically 2–6 m tall. Leaves. Narrow and elongated, willow-like — which is what the species name salicifolia means. Upper surface grey-green; the underside is covered in dense silvery or rusty-brown scales. Thorns. Sharp, stiff and plentiful. They are modified branches, not prickles on the surface. Flowers. Small and inconspicuous, appearing before the leaves. Male an...
Rheum australe , Himalayan rhubarb, is a large perennial herb of the high Himalaya and a classic example of a plant whose chemistry does two opposite things depending on dose. Understanding that dual action is the key to almost every exam question about it. Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Angiosperms, Eudicots Order Caryophyllales Family Polygonaceae Genus Rheum Species Rheum australe D. Don Common names Himalayan rhubarb Do not confuse it with garden rhubarb ( Rheum rhabarbarum or R. rhaponticum ), which is cultivated for its edible leaf stalks. Same genus, different species, different use. How to identify it Habit. A robust perennial herb, 1–2 m tall in flower, grown from a thick woody rootstock. Root. A large, thick, branched rhizome and root — the part harvested. Cut surfaces are typically yellow to orange. Leaves. Very large, borne on long thick stalks from the base. Blades are broadly ovate to heart-shaped with wavy or lobed margins and co...