Wolf-willow seed

3D Model

This specimen is the striped seed of the wolf-willow (silverberry; Elaeagnus commutata) and is approximately 11 mm long including the stem. Wolf-willow is a scraggly shrub found throughout the Edmonton region with small fruit that blends in with its silvery leaves, but beneath the mealy flesh is a football shaped seed with distinct yellow lines. 

Many indigenous people use the seeds of wolf-willow as beads for making jewelry and decorating clothing (http://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/149052). To prepare the seeds, the outer flesh of the fruit is removed either by rubbing, boiling, or soaking the entire fruit and removing the outer flesh once dried. Soaking the seeds is also used to soften the seed for sewing and prevent it from breaking (Barkwell 2009, Louis Riel Institute; Johnson et al 1995).