Sambucus cerulea
Blue elderberry
Blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea ) is a shrub or small tree in the genus of the elder of the family of musk weed plants ( Adoxaceae ).
- 4.1 Literature
- 4.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance and leaf
The Blue elderberry is a multi-stemmed, 2 to 6 feet high and woody shrub which sometimes reaches the look and size of a small tree. The leaves are stalked towards continuous and smooth or nearly smooth. They are pinnate, and usually consist of seven to nine ovate to narrowly oblong- round and serrated leaves. The missing or ordinarily soon falling stipules are small and linear in shape.
Inflorescence and flower
The flowering period extends from May to July. The approximately 4 to 15 inches wide inflorescence is a flat corymb with four to five beams, which in turn end in umbrella-like part fruit stands. The hermaphroditic, flowers are radial symmetry fünfzählig double perianth and diameter 4-6 (rarely to 7 ) mm in size. They have a strict, unpleasant odor. The five white or cream-colored petals are fused short.
Fruit and seeds
The round, berry- like and juicy stone fruits are bluish black 4 to 6 millimeters in size and maturity. Through a waxy coating they appear pale blue and floured. They contain three to five small seeds like nuts, each of which comprises a seed.
Dissemination
The Blue Elderberry is native to western North America. In Canada it is found from Alberta to British Columbia, in the United States southward over all western states to California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The southern stocks are found in northern Mexico.
It thrives on moist slopes and in canyons with ponderosa pine and American Aspen Tree.
System
Sambucus cerulea in 1838 first described by Constantine S. Rafinesque - Schmaltz in Alsographia Americana, page 48. An orthographic variant is Sambucus caerulea Raf .. The species belongs to the Sambucus nigra complex, as such, it is sometimes subsp as Sambucus nigra L. subspecies. cerulea ( Raf. ) Bolli classified. Other synonyms for Sambucus Sambucus glauca Nutt cerulea are. , Sambucus mexicana auct. non C.Presl ex DC. and Sambucus neomexicana Wooton.
Depending on the author, two varieties are used:
- Sambucus cerulea var neomexicana ( Wooton ) Rehder
- Sambucus velutina var cerulea (Durand & Hilg. ) Heavy.