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 Shepherdia argentea, western Nevada | ||||||||||||
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Shepherdia (Buffaloberries) are a genus of small shrubs which have rather bitter tasting berries, native to North America. The genus has three species:
- Shepherdia argentea - Silver Buffaloberry
- Shepherdia canadensis - Canada Buffaloberry
- Shepherdia rotundifolia - Round-leaf Buffaloberry
The fruit are eaten primarily by bears and are presumably so popular with bears because they contain a molecule that helps to keep fat on the body which is useful for the winter seasonTemplate:Fact. Buffaloberries are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including The Engrailed (recorded from S. canadensis) and Coleophora elaeagnisella.
Buffaloberries are edible for humans. They are quite sour, and afterwards leave the mouth a little dry. The berry is recognizeable by being a dark shade of red, with little white dots on them. They are rough to the touch, and found on both trees and shrubs.