Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) fruit

Photomacrograph of a close up view of part of a fruit from the autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata). Autumn olive is a deciduous shrub native to China, Korea and Japan. The fruit are small round drupes which turn from silver/yellow to red dotted with silver or brown when ripe in the autumn. The fruit are edible with a tart taste and can be eaten raw or made into jams and preserves. They are rich in vitamin C and lycopene, and contain more than 10 times the amount of lycopene found in tomatoes. Lycopene is an important phytonutrient which may play a role in preventing or protecting against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Width of image is 0.65 to 0.85 cm.