Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra | |
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Shrub in flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Dipsacales |
Family: | Adoxaceae |
Genus: | Sambucus |
Species: | S. nigra
|
Binomial name | |
Sambucus nigra | |
Distribution in Europe | |
Natural range of North American subspecies: S. cerulea (dark/light blue) and S. canadensis (green/red) |
Sambucus nigra is a
Although elderberry is commonly used in dietary supplements and traditional medicine, there is no scientific evidence that it provides any benefit for maintaining health or treating diseases.[5]
Description
Elderberry is a
The hermaphroditic flowers have five stamens,[8] which are borne in large, flat corymbs 10–25 cm in diameter in late spring to mid-summer. The individual flowers are ivory white, 5–6 millimetres (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) in diameter, with five petals, and are pollinated by flies.
The fruit is a glossy, dark purple to black berry 3–5 mm diameter, produced in drooping clusters in late autumn.[4] The dark color of elderberry fruit occurs from its rich phenolic content, particularly from anthocyanins.[9]
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Flowers
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Inflorescences and leaves
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Fruit cluster
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are several other closely related species, native to Asia and North America, which are similar, and sometimes treated as subspecies of Sambucus nigra, including S. nigra subsp. canadensis[10] and S. nigra subsp. cerulea.[11]
Etymology
The Latin
Distribution and habitat
Sambucus nigra is native to Europe as far east as Turkey.[14] It is native in, and common throughout, the British Isles.[15] It has been introduced to parts of most other continents of the world.[14]
Hedges, waste-ground roadsides, and woods are the typical habitats for the species.[8] S. nigra is recorded as very common in Ireland in hedges as scrub in woods.[16][17]
Ecology
Like other elderberries, Sambucus nigra is subject to
Wildlife value
Elder rates as fair to good forage for animals such as
Except for the flowers and ripe berries (but including the ripe seeds), all parts of the plant are poisonous to mammals, containing the
]Cultivation
It is a very common feature of hedgerows and scrubland in Britain and northern Europe.
Some selections and cultivars have
The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[22]
- S. nigra f. laciniata (cut-leaved elder)[23]
- S. nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Eva'[24]
- S. nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Gerda'[25]
Toxicity
Components of the elderberry plant, including its fruit, contain diverse phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, lectins, and cyanogenic glycosides, which may be toxic if consumed raw.[9] The seeds and all green parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides.[5] Consumption of berries, leaves, bark or stems, if not properly prepared, may cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea.[5][9][26] Elderberry plant constituents or products should not be consumed during pregnancy or by people with allergies or gastrointestinal diseases.[9][26] Elderberry products may cause adverse effects when used with prescription drugs.[9][26]
Uses
The dark blue or purple berries are mildly poisonous in their raw state, but are edible after cooking.[5][27] They can be used to make jam, jelly,[27] chutney, and Pontack sauce. In Scandinavia and Germany, soup made from the elderberry (e.g. the German Fliederbeersuppe) is a traditional meal.[28]
Commonly, the flowerheads are used in infusions, giving a drink in Northern Europe and the Balkans. These drinks are sold commercially as elderflower cordial or elderflower pressé .[29] In Europe, the flowers are made into a syrup or cordial (in Romanian: Socată, in Swedish: fläder(blom)saft, in Danish: hyldeblomstsaft / hyldedrik), which is diluted with water before drinking. The popularity of this traditional drink recently has encouraged some commercial soft drink producers to introduce elderflower-flavoured drinks (Fanta Shokata, Freaky Fläder). The flowers also may be dipped into a light batter and then fried to make elderflower fritters.[30]
The berries may be made into
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Elderberry jam
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Sambuci flos: dried sambucus nigra flowers as used in herbal tea
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"Godfrey's Extract of Elder-Flowers" ad in 1900
Traditional medicine
This plant is used in traditional medicine by native peoples and herbalists.[5][31] Extracts of the flowers and fruits are used for cold and flu symptoms,[5][9] although there is no high-quality clinical evidence that it is effective for treating any disease.[5][9]
References
- ^ "Flora Europaea Search Results". Rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ "Plants profile for Sambucus nigra L. (black elderberry)". Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture. 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ a b c d e f g "European elder". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Library of Medicine. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ISBN 0-521-04656-4
- ISBN 0416-61780-8
- ^ ISBN 978-185918-4783
- ^ a b c d e f g "Elderberry". Drugs.com. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Sambucus mexicana". Calflora. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea". Calflora. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ISBN 978-1845337315.
- ^ "Elder (Sambucus nigra) - British trees -". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Sambucus nigra L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra". Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Biological Records Centre and Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ISBN 0 85389 446 9(HB)
- ISBN 0-85221-131-7
- S2CID 253886497.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea". Fs.fed.us. Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- ^ The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
- PMID 10744317.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 95. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra f. laciniata / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Sambucus nigra 'Eva'". Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Gerda'". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ a b c "Elderberry". Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ OCLC 1073035766.
- PMID 10888553.
- ^ Kikbracken, J. 1995. Easy way guide Trees. Larousse.
- OCLC 761378530.
- ^ "Sambucus nigra: Elderberry - European Elder, Black elderberry, American black elderberry, Blue elderberry". Plants for a Future. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
Further reading
- OCLC 16950204.
- Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
External links
Media related to Sambucus nigra at Wikimedia Commons