Sambucus racemosa
{{Short description|Species of plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Sambucus racemosa (1).jpg
|image_caption = Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa flowers, Lithuania
|image2 = Sambucus racemosa jfg.jpg
|image2_caption = Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa fruit, France
|genus = Sambucus
|species = racemosa
|authority = L.
|subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
|subdivision_ref = Sambucus racemosa was originally described and published in Species plantarum 1:270. 1753. {{GRIN | accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
|subdivision =
- S. racemosa subsp. racemosa (autonym)
- S. r. var. melanocarpa (A.Gray) McMinn
- S. r. var. microbotrys (Rydb.) Kearney & Peebles
- S. r. subsp. pubens (Michx.) House
}}
Sambucus racemosa is a species of elder known by the common names red-berried elder{{cite web | title=Plants of the World Online | website=Plants of the World Online | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Sambucus%20racemosa | access-date=2025-02-15}}{{cite web | title=PlantAtlas | website=PlantAtlas | url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.1z5 | access-date=2025-02-15}} and red elderberry.{{PLANTS|id=SARA2|taxon=Sambucus racemosa|accessdate=28 October 2015}} It is native across much of the Northern Hemisphere.{{cite web | title=Plants of the World Online | website=Plants of the World Online | date=2017-08-09 | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30056767-2 | access-date=2025-02-15}}
Description
Sambucus racemosa is medium-sized shrub growing {{cvt|2|-|4|m|ft|0}} (rarely {{cvt|6|m|ft|0}}) tall. The stems are soft, with a broad pith.
Each individual leaf is composed of 5 to 7 leaflike leaflets, each of which is up to {{cvt|4|–|8|cm|in|frac=4}} (rarely to {{cvt|16|cm|in|frac=4}}) long, lance-shaped to narrowly oval, and irregularly serrated along the edges. The leaflets have a strong disagreeable scent when crushed.{{cite book | last=Streeter | first=David | title=Flower Guide | publisher=Collins | publication-place=London | date=2010 | isbn=978-0-00-718389-0 | page=452}}[http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/sara.html Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina: Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. pubens)]
The inflorescence is a vaguely cone-shaped panicle {{cvt|3|–|6|cm|in|frac=4}} diameter, consisting of several cymes of flowers and produced on the ends of stem branches. The flower buds are pink when closed, and the open flowers are white, cream, or yellowish. Each flower has small, recurved petals and a star-shaped axis of five white stamens tipped in yellow anthers. The flowers are fragrant and visited by flies (particularly hoverflies), hummingbirds and butterflies.{{NPIN|SARA2|Sambucus racemosa}}
The fruit is a bright red drupe (to purple-black in var. melanocarpa) containing 3 to 5 seeds. It is eaten by birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings.Pojar, J. & A. MacKinnon. (1994). Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Lone Pine Publishing. {{ISBN|1-55105-042-0}}
Varieties and subspecies
- Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa — Rocky Mountain elder, native to the Western United States and Western Canada, including the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada.{{Calflora|Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa}}{{PLANTS |symbol=SARAM4 |taxon=Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa}}{{Jepson eFlora|80590|Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa}}
- Sambucus racemosa var. microbotrys (Rydb.) Kearney & Peebles – Southwestern United States[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:227218-2 Sambucus racemosa var. microbotrys (Rydb.) Kearney & Peebles]. Plants of the World Online, Kew Science. Accessed 2 February 2023.
- Sambucus racemosa subsp. pubens — American red elder, native to North America
- Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa — European red-berried elder.{{cite web | title=Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa | website=Plants of the World Online | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77225817-1 | access-date=2025-02-15}}
Other subspecies formerly included in S. racemosa include S. racemosa subsp. kamtschatica (now Sambucus kamtschatica), S. racemosa subsp. sibirica (now Sambucus sibirica), and S. racemosa subsp. sieboldiana (now Sambucus sieboldiana).
Distribution and habitat
It is native to Europe, northern temperate Asia, and North America across Canada and the United States. It grows in riparian environments, woodlands, and other habitats, generally in moist areas.
Toxicity
The stems, roots and foliage are poisonous, and the berries can be toxic or cause nausea if eaten raw.
Uses
It has been used as a traditional medicine by Native Americans, including the Bella Coola, Carrier, Gitksan, Hesquiaht, Menominee, Northern Paiute, Ojibwa, Paiute, Potawatomi, Tlingit, and Haida peoples.[http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Sambucus+racemosa University of Michigan at Dearborn: Native American Ethnobotany for Sambucus racemosa] The uses included as an emetic, antidiarrheal, cold and cough remedy, dermatological and gynecological aid.
=Food=
The fruit is reportedly safe to eat{{Cite book|last=Fagan|first=Damian|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1073035766|title=Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert|publisher=FalconGuides|year=2019|isbn=978-1-4930-3633-2|location=Guilford, CT|pages=16|oclc=1073035766}} when cooked, but are potentially poisonous when raw. They were cooked in a variety of recipes by indigenous peoples, including by the Apache, Bella Coola, Gitxsan, Gosiute, Makah, Ojibwa, Quileute, Skokomish, Yurok peoples.
=Cultivation=
Sambucus racemosa is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for use as a shrub or small tree in traditional and wildlife gardens, and natural landscape design projects. The yellow-foliaged cultivars 'Plumosa Aurea' and 'Sutherland Gold' are widely grown in Britain.
==Cultivars==
Cultivars in the nursery trade include:
- Sambucus racemosa 'SMNSRD4' Lemony Lace® — golden green foliage, with red new growth[https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/sambucus/lemony-lace-elderberry-sambucus-racemosa Proven Winners.com: Sambucus racemosa Lemony Lace]
- Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' — green foliage, with bronze new growth:[http://www.finegardening.com/european-red-elder-sambucus-racemosa-sutherland-gold Fine Gardening Magazine: Sambucus racemosa Sutherland Gold] it has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/63760/Sambucus-racemosa-Sutherland-Gold/Details | access-date = 5 March 2021}}{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 94 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 28 October 2018}}
Images
File:Sambucus racemosa 1567.JPG|Fruit of subsp. pubens, (Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest)
File:Sambucus_racemosa_6269.JPG|Inflorescence and foliage of subsp. pubens
File:0 Sambucus racemosa - Vallorcine.JPG|Young leaves and flowerbuds of subsp. racemosa
File:Sambucus racemosa ies.jpg|Clusters of berries of subsp. racemosa
File:Sambucus racemosa melanocarpa 151656864.jpg|Fruit of var. melanocarpa
References
{{Reflist|25em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Calflora|Sambucus racemosa |link=1}}
- {{Jepson eFlora|43132 |link=1}}
- {{cite web |url=http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Sambucus%20racemosa |department=Burke Museum |publisher=University of Washington |title=Taxon Sambucus racemosa profile |series=Herbarium}}
- {{CalPhotos|Sambucus|racemosa}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q157276}}
Category:Flora of temperate Asia
Category:Flora of the Eastern United States
Category:Flora of the Western United States
Category:Plants described in 1753
Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus