Sambucaceae
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''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to genetic and morphological comparisons to plants in the genus ''
Adoxa ''Adoxa'' is the type genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. It contains at least 2 species of flowering plant, including the moschatel, for which the family is named. *'' Adoxa moschatellina'' L. *'' Adoxa xizangensis'' G.Yao Refer ...
''.


Description

The oppositely arranged
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are pinnate with 5–9 leaflets (or, rarely, 3 or 11). Each leaf is long, and the leaflets have serrated margins. They bear large clusters of small white or cream-colored flowers in late spring; these are followed by clusters of small black, blue-black, or red berries (rarely yellow or white).


Color

Sambucus fruit is rich in anthocyanidinsColors Derived from Agricultural Products
USDA
that combine to give elderberry juice an intense blue-purple coloration that turns reddish on dilution with water. These pigments are used as colorants in various products, and "elderberry juice color" is listed by the US FDA as allowable in certified organic food products. In Japan, elderberry juice is listed as an approved "natural color additive" under the Food and Sanitation Law. Fibers can be dyed with elderberry juice (using
alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , where is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium or a ...
as a mordant) to give .


Toxicity

Although the cooked berries (pulp and skin) of most species of ''Sambucus'' are edible,McVicar, Jekka (2007). "Jekka's Complete Herb Book" p. 214–215. Raincoast Books, Vancouver. the uncooked berries and other parts of plants from this genus are poisonous. Leaves, twigs, branches, seeds, roots, flowers, and berries of ''Sambucus'' plants produce cyanogenic glycosides, which have toxic properties. Ingesting a sufficient quantity of cyanogenic glycosides from berry juice, flower tea, or beverages made from fresh leaves, branches, and fruit has been shown to cause illness, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and weakness. In August 1983, a group of 25 people in Monterey County, California, became suddenly ill by ingesting elderberry juice pressed from fresh, uncooked '' Sambucus mexicana'' berries, leaves, and stems. The concentration of cyanogenic glycosides is higher in tea made from flowers (or leaves) than from the berries. The seeds of '' Sambucus callicarpa'' are reported to be poisonous and may cause vomiting or diarrhea.


Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the genus ''Sambucus'' L., originally described by Carl Linnaeus and hence its botanical authority, has been complicated by its wide geographical distribution and morphological diversity. This has led to overdescription of the species and infraspecific taxa (subspecies, varieties or forms). The name comes from the Greek word ''sambuce'', an ancient wind instrument, about the removal of pith from the twigs to make whistles. Species recognized in this genus are: * ''
Sambucus adnata ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – Himalaya and eastern Asia * '' Sambucus australasica'' – New Guinea, eastern Australia * ''
Sambucus australis ''Sambucus australis'' is a species of tree in the family Adoxaceae. It is native to South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion i ...
'' – South America * ''
Sambucus canadensis ''Sambucus canadensis'', the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a species of elderberry native to a large area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to Bolivia. It grows in a variety of conditions ...
'' – eastern North America * '' Sambucus cerulea'' – western North America * '' Sambucus ebulus'' – central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia * ''
Sambucus gaudichaudiana ''Sambucus gaudichaudiana'', commonly known as white elderberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial shrub but with stems that are produced annually with pinnate leaves t ...
'' – south eastern Australia * ''
Sambucus javanica ''Sambucus javanica'', the Chinese elder, is a species of elderberry in the family Adoxaceae native to subtropical and tropical Asia. It is found naturally in Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China (except in the north), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, M ...
'' – southeastern Asia * ''
Sambucus lanceolata ''Sambucus lanceolata'' is a species of elderberry endemic to Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Ma ...
'' –
Madeira Island Madeira is a Portuguese island, and is the largest and most populous of the Madeira Archipelago. It has an area of , including Ilhéu de Agostinho, Ilhéu de São Lourenço, Ilhéu Mole (northwest). As of 2011, Madeira had a total population of ...
* ''
Sambucus latipinna ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – Korea, southeast Siberia * ''
Sambucus melanocarpa ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – western North America * ''
Sambucus microbotrys ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to g ...
'' – southwest North America * '' Sambucus nigra'' – Europe and
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
* ''
Sambucus orbiculata ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as A ...
'' – western North America * ''
Sambucus palmensis ''Sambucus palmensis'' is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Adoxaceae Adoxaceae, commonly known as moschatel family, is a small family of flowering plants in the order Dipsacales, now consisting of five genera and about 150–200 ...
'' –
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
* ''
Sambucus peruviana ''Sambucus peruviana'' is a species of tree in the family Adoxaceae. It is native to Central America and South America. Description Trees up to 8 m, irregular trunk. Leaves compound, with 7-9 ovate-oblong leaflets, margin serrate, acute apex, h ...
'' – Costa Rica, Panama and northwest South America * ''
Sambucus pubens ''Sambucus pubens'', the American red elder, is a species of elder (''Sambucus'') native to eastern North America. The inflorescence is a rounded panicle, making the plant easy to distinguish from the more common '' S. canadensis'', which has a ...
'' – northern North America * ''
Sambucus racemosa ''Sambucus racemosa'' is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder. Distribution and habitat It is native to Europe, northern temperate Asia, and North America across Canada and the United States. It ...
'' – northern, central and southeastern Europe, northwest Asia, western North America * ''
Sambucus sibirica ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – eastern Asia * ''
Sambucus sieboldiana ''Sambucus sieboldiana'', commonly called the Japanese red elder, is a deciduous shrub in the moschatel family (Adoxaceae). It is native to East Asia, where it is found in Japan and Korea.Sambucus simpsonii'' – southeastern United States * ''
Sambucus tigranii ''Sambucus racemosa'' subsp. ''racemosa'' is a subspecies of ''Sambucus racemosa'', with the common names European red elder and Pacific red elderberry. Distribution The plant is native to Europe and to North America, in Western Canada and the We ...
'' – southwest Asia * '' Sambucus velutina'' – southwestern North America * ''
Sambucus wightiana ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – western Himalayas * ''
Sambucus williamsii ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
'' – northeast Asia


Distribution and habitat

The genus occurs in temperate to subtropical regions of the world. More widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, its Southern Hemisphere occurrence is restricted to parts of Australasia and South America. Many species are widely cultivated for their ornamental leaves, flowers, and fruit.


Habitat

Elder commonly grows near farms and homesteads. It is a nitrogen-dependent plant and thus is generally found near places of
organic waste Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane or simple organic molecules by micro-organisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion ...
disposal. Elders are often grown as a
hedgerow A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate a road from adjoini ...
plant in Britain since they take very fast, can be bent into shape easily, and grow quite profusely, thus having gained the reputation of being 'an instant hedge'. It is not generally affected by soil type or pH level and will virtually grow anywhere sufficient
sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...
is available.


Ecology

In Northern California, elderberries are a food for migrating
band-tailed pigeon The band-tailed pigeon (''Patagioenas fasciata'') is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean pigeon and the ring-tailed pigeon, which form a clade of ''Patagioenas'' with a terminal tail band and iridescent pl ...
s. Elders are used as food plants by the larvae of some
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species including brown-tail,
buff ermine The buff ermine (''Spilarctia luteum'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is sometimes placed in the genus '' Spilosoma''. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is found throughout the temperate belt of the ...
, dot moth, emperor moth, engrailed moth,
swallow-tailed moth The swallow-tailed moth (''Ourapteryx sambucaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is a common species across Europe and the Near East. ...
and the V-pug. The crushed foliage and immature fruit have a strong fetid smell.
Valley elderberry longhorn beetle The valley elderberry longhorn beetle (''Desmocerus californicus dimorphus'') is a subspecies of longhorn beetle native to the riparian forests of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of California from Redding, California, Redding to ...
s in California are very often found around red or blue elderberry bushes. Females lay their eggs on the bark. The pith of elder has been used by
watchmakers A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their par ...
for cleaning tools before intricate work.


Cultivation

Traditional uses of ''Sambucus'' involved berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers or component
extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...
s.
Ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...
varieties of ''Sambucus'' are grown in gardens for their showy flowers, fruits and lacy foliage which support habitat for wildlife. Of the many native species, three are used as ornamentals, ''S. nigra'', ''S. canadensis'' and ''S. racemosa''.


Uses


Nutrition

Raw elderberries are 80% water, 18%
carbohydrates In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or may ...
, and less than 1% each of protein and fat (table). In a amount, elderberries supply of food energy and are a rich source of vitamin C, providing 43% of the Daily Value (DV). Elderberries also have moderate contents of vitamin B6 (18% DV) and iron (12% DV), with no other nutrients in significant content.


Dietary supplement

Elderberry fruit or flowers are used as
dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...
s to prevent or provide relief from minor diseases, such as flu, colds, constipation, and other conditions, served as a tea,
extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...
or in a capsule. The use of elderberry supplements increased early in the COVID-19 pandemic. There is insufficient research to establish its effectiveness for such uses, or its safety profile. The raw or unripe fruit of ''S. nigra'' or its
extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...
s may contain a cyanogenic glycoside that is potentially toxic.


Traditional medicine

Although practitioners of traditional medicine have used elderberry over centuries, there is no high-quality clinical evidence that such practices provide any benefit.


Other

The flowers of '' Sambucus nigra'' are used to produce
elderflower cordial Elderflower cordial is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of the European elder (''Sambucus nigra'' L.). Historically, the cordial was popular in Northwestern Europe where it has a Victorian ...
. St-Germain, a French liqueur, is made from elderflowers. Hallands Fläder, a Swedish akvavit, is flavoured with elderflowers. Hollowed elderberry twigs have traditionally been used as
spile A spile is a small wooden or metal peg used to control the flow of air into, and carbon dioxide out of, a cask of ale. Spiles can also be used to broach water from trees. Ale use Cask ale is dispensed without the addition of externally supplied ...
s to tap maple trees for syrup. Additionally, they have been hollowed out and used as flutes, blowguns, and syringes. The fruit of ''S. callicarpa'' is eaten by birds and mammals. It is inedible to humans when raw but can be made into wine. Elderberry twigs and fruit are employed in creating dyes for basketry. These stems are dyed a very deep black by soaking them in a wash made from the berry stems of the elderberry.


In popular culture

Folklore related to elder trees is extensive and can vary according to region. In some traditions, the elder tree is thought to ward off evil and give protection from witches, while other beliefs say that witches often congregate under the plant, especially when it is full of fruit. If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge. The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother.Howard, Michael. ''Traditional Folk Remedies'' (Century, 1987); pp. 134–5 Made from the branch of an elder tree, the
Elder Wand An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...
plays a pivotal role in the final book of the ''Harry Potter'' series, which was nearly named ''Harry Potter and the Elder Wand'' before author J. K. Rowling decided on ''
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the main ''Harry Potter'' series. It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publi ...
''.
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
's 1973 album '' Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player'' features a song titled "
Elderberry Wine Fruit wines are Ethanol fermentation, fermented alcoholic beverages made from a variety of base ingredients (other than grapes); they may also have additional flavors taken from fruits, flowers, and herbs. This definition is sometimes broadened t ...
". In ''
Monty Python and the Holy Grail ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...
'',
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
as the French Taunter tells the knights of Camelot, "Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries."


Gallery

Image:Sambucus canadensis3.jpg, ''
Sambucus canadensis ''Sambucus canadensis'', the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a species of elderberry native to a large area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to Bolivia. It grows in a variety of conditions ...
'' showing the complex branching of the inflorescence Image:Sambucus canadensis W2 IMG 3144.jpg, ''Sambucus canadensis'' showing the inflorescence Image:Holunderkultur.JPG, Elderberry cultivation in Austria


References

; Attribution


Further reading

* * * * *


External links


USDA National Organic Program National List Petition for Elderberry Juice Color
{{Authority control Berries Butterfly food plants Dipsacales genera Drought-tolerant plants Garden plants of North America Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus