Sambucus

Sambucus is a genus of between 20 and 30 species of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly referred to as elder, with the flowers as elderflower, and the fruit as elderberry.

Description

Elders are mostly fast-growing shrubs or small trees Template:Cvt (rarely to Template:Cvt) tall, with a few species being herbaceous plants Template:Cvt tall. The oppositely arranged leaves are pinnate with 5–9 leaflets (or, rarely, 3 or 11). Each leaf is Template:Convert long, and the leaflets have serrated margins. They bear large clusters of small white or cream-coloured flowers in late spring or early summer; these are followed by clusters of small berries that are green when immature, ripening black, blue-black, or red (rarely yellow or white).

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Taxonomy

The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration), an ancient wind instrument, relating to the removal of pith from the twigs to make whistles.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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).Template:Sfn

The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified in the moschatel family Adoxaceae due to genetic and morphological comparisons to plants in the genus Adoxa.Template:Sfn

Species currently accepted by Plants of the World Online in this genus are:<ref name="POWO">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Sambucus adnata Wall. ex DC.
• Sambucus africana Standl.
• Sambucus australasica (Lindl.) Fritsch
• Sambucus australis Cham. & Schltdl.
• Sambucus canadensis L.
• Sambucus cerulea Raf.
• Sambucus ebulus L.
• Sambucus gaudichaudiana DC.
• Sambucus javanica Reinw. ex Blume
• Sambucus kamtschatica E.L.Wolf
• Sambucus lanceolata R.Br.
• Sambucus mexicana C.Presl ex DC.
• Sambucus nigra L.
• Sambucus palmensis Link
• Sambucus pendula Nakai
• Sambucus peruviana Kunth
• Sambucus racemosa L.
• Sambucus sibirica Nakai
• Sambucus sieboldiana (Miq.) Graebn.
• Sambucus × strumpfii Gutte
• Sambucus tigranii Troitsky
• Sambucus wightiana Wall. ex Wight & Arn.
• Sambucus williamsii Hance

Some other authors have differed in the species they accept:Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

• Template:Ill – Himalaya and eastern Asia
• Sambucus australasica – New Guinea, eastern Australia
• Sambucus australis – South America
• Sambucus canadensis – eastern North America
• Sambucus cerulea – western North America
• Sambucus ebulus – central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia
• Sambucus gaudichaudiana – south eastern Australia
• Sambucus javanica – southeastern Asia
• Sambucus lanceolata – Madeira Island
• Template:Ill – Korea, southeast Siberia
• Template:Ill – western North America
• Template:Ill – southwest North America
• Sambucus nigra – Europe and North America
• Sambucus orbiculataTemplate:Efn – western North America
• Sambucus palmensis – Canary Islands
• Sambucus peruviana – Costa Rica, Panama and northwest South America
• Sambucus pubens – northern North America
• Sambucus racemosa – northern, central and southeastern Europe, northwest Asia, western North America
• Template:Ill – eastern Asia
• Sambucus sieboldiana – Japan and Korea
• Template:Ill – southeastern United States
• Sambucus tigranii – southwest Asia
• Sambucus velutina – southwestern North America
• Template:Ill – western Himalayas
• Template:Ill – 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Elder commonly grows near farms and homesteads. It is a nitrogen-tolerant plant and thus is often found near places of organic waste disposal. Elders are often grown as a hedgerow plant in Britain since they take very fast, can be bent into shape easily, and grow quite profusely, thus having gained the reputationTemplate:According to whom of being an "instant hedge". It is not generally affected by soil type or pH level and will grow virtually anywhere sufficient sunlight is available.Template:Citation needed

Ecology

The berries are consumed by birds and mammals.<ref name="Knopf">Template:Cite book</ref> In Northern California, elderberries are eaten by migrating band-tailed pigeons. Elders are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail, buff ermine, dot moth, emperor moth, engrailed moth, swallow-tailed moth and the Template:Nowrap. The crushed foliage and immature fruit have a strong fetid smell. Valley elderberry longhorn beetles in California are very often found around red or blue elderberry bushes. Females lay their eggs on the bark.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Strong-scented flowers in wild populations of European elder (S. nigra) attract numerous, minute flower thrips which may contribute to the transfer of pollen between inflorescences.<ref name="ScottBrown et al 2019">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Cultivation

File:Holunderkultur.JPG

Cultivation in Austria

Traditional uses of Sambucus involved berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers or component extracts.<ref name="abc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ornamental varieties of Sambucus are grown in gardens for their showy flowers, fruits and lacy foliage which support habitat for wildlife.<ref name="stevens">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Of the many native species, three are used as ornamentals: S. canadensis, S. nigra, and S. racemosa.Template:Sfn

Toxicity

The uncooked berries and other parts of plants from this genus are poisonous.<ref name="senica">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Knopf" /> Leaves, twigs, branches, seeds, roots, flowers, and berries of Sambucus plants produce cyanogenic glycosides, which have toxic properties.<ref name="senica" /> 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.<ref name="nih" /><ref name="senica" /><ref name="cdc">Template:Cite journal</ref> In August 1983, a group of 25 people in Monterey County, California, became ill after ingesting elderberry juice pressed from fresh, uncooked S. mexicana berries, leaves, and stems.<ref name="cdc" /> The concentration of cyanogenic glycosides is higher in tea made from flowers (or leaves) than from the berries.<ref name="senica" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The seeds of Sambucus racemosa are reported to be poisonous and may cause vomiting or diarrhea.<ref name="Knopf" />

Uses

The cooked berries (pulp and skin) of most species of Sambucus are edible.<ref name="nih" /><ref name="jekka">McVicar, Jekka (2007). "Jekka's Complete Herb Book" p. 214–215. Raincoast Books, Vancouver. Template:ISBN</ref>

Nutrition

Raw elderberries are 80% water, 18% carbohydrates, and less than 1% each of protein and fat. In a Template:Convert amount, elderberries supply Template:Convert 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.

Chemistry

File:Anthocyanidine.svg

Structure of anthocyanins, the blue pigments in elderberries<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Sambucus fruit is rich in anthocyanidins<ref name=USDA6>Colors Derived from Agricultural Products, USDA</ref> that combine to give elderberry juice an intense blue-purple colour that turns reddish on dilution with water.<ref name=register>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dietary supplement

Elderberry fruit or flowers are used as dietary supplements to prevent or provide relief from minor diseases, such as flu, colds, constipation, and other conditions, served as a tea, extract or in a capsule.<ref name="nih">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The use of elderberry supplements increased early in the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is insufficient research to establish its effectiveness for such uses, or its safety profile.<ref name=nih/> The raw or unripe fruit of S. nigra or its extracts may contain a cyanogenic glycoside that is potentially toxic.<ref name=:1/>

Traditional medicine

File:Elderberries.jpeg

Dried elderberries ready for steeping

Although practitioners of traditional medicine have used elderberries over centuries,<ref name=stevens/> there is little high-quality clinical evidence that such practices provide benefits.<ref name=nih/>

Pigments

The pigments are used as colourants in various products,Template:R and "elderberry juice color" is listed by the US Food and Drug Administration as allowable in certified organic food products.Template:R In Japan, elderberry juice is listed as an approved "natural colour additive" under the Food and Sanitation Law.<ref name="CRC">Template:Cite book</ref> Fibres can be dyed with elderberry juice (using alum as a mordant) to give a "muted purple" shade.<ref name="dye">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Other

The berry of S. racemosa can be made into wine.<ref name="Knopf" /> The flowers of S. nigra are used to produce elderflower cordial. 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 spiles to tap maple trees for syrup.<ref>Medve, Richard J. et al. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States Penn State Press, 1990, Template:ISBN, p. 161</ref> Additionally, they have been hollowed out and used as flutes, blowguns, and syringes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In addition, the 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.<ref name="stevens" />

The pith of elder has been used by watchmakers for cleaning tools before intricate work.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In culture

Folklore related to elder trees is extensive and can vary according to region.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge.<ref name="Elderpower2020">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother.<ref name=":0">Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk Remedies (Century, 1987); pp. 134–5</ref> Romani people believe burning elder wood brings bad luck.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

A wand made from the branch of an elder tree plays a pivotal role in the final book of the Harry Potter series, which was almost named Harry Potter and the Elder Wand.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

General and cited references

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Further reading

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External links

• USDA National Organic Program National List Petition for Elderberry Juice Color