わが国の各地をはじめ、台湾や朝鮮半島、中国に分布しています。日当たりのよい山野に生え、高さは2〜3メートルになります。小枝は灰白色で葉の裏は銀白色の鱗毛で被われています。5月から6月ごろ、小さな淡黄色の花を咲かせます。球形の偽果は9月から11月に赤く熟し、食用になります。台湾華語では「小葉胡頹子」、中国語では「牛奶子(niu nai zi)」と呼ばれます。
The Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) belongs to Elaeagnaceae (the Oleaster family). It is a small deciduous tree that is native to Japan, as well as Taiwan, the the Korean Peninsula and China. This tree grows in sunny fields or mountains and can reach 2-3 m in height. The twigs are grayish white. The leaves are covered with silvery-white scaly hairs on the abaxial sides. The small pale yellow flowers come in May to June. The false fruits are ripen in red in September to November and edible. It is called "小葉胡頹子" in Taiwanese Chinese and "牛奶子" (niu nai zi) in Chinese.