Erect, branching shrub to 1.5 m tall with opposite, deciduous leaves; white berries; twigs and leaves may be pubescent or glabrous |
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General
Description:
This erect, branched shrub can grow up to 1.5 m tall. The elliptic, opposite
leaves are usually 1-2 cm long, but in young growth can exceed 2 or 3 times
that length. The elongate-campanulate flowers are borne on short, drooping pedicels
from the axils of the upper leaves. The inferior ovaries in the flowering stage
are frequently purple. The 7-10 mm long fruits, however, are white. Following
the common sense rule, "If the plant grows in the wild and has white fruits,
don't eat it because it is either deadly or will make one very sick." Birds,
which have different digestive enzuy.
Distribution:
East of the Cascades, from southern British Columbia to Montana, south to California,
New Mexico and northern Mexico.
Habitat:
With sage brush in open slopes and in dry meadows from low to mid-elevation
to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Other:
Plants which have white fruits on plants which grow in the wild should be regarded
as inedible, in fact toxic to Homo sapiens. Snowberries may cause emesis and
drastic catharsis. It can cause delirium and a semi-comatose condition. A period
of time of 1 or 2 hours may elapse between eating and gastroenteritis or even
as much as one or two days for toxalbumins which are slowly absorbed from the
gastorenteric tract.