Sambucus ebulus
Dwarf elder ( Sambucus ebulus )
The dwarf elder or Attich (Sambucus ebulus ) is a species of the genus elderberry (Sambucus ).
Description
The dwarf - elder is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 60 to 150 centimeters and forms underground runners. The leaves are pinnate, consisting of seven to nine lance-shaped, 5-15 cm long, finely serrate leaflets. The stipules are leaf-like. The white flowers are abundant in shallow, umbel - paniculate inflorescences. The cones are 5-10 cm long, the individual flowers have a diameter of about 7 mm. The anthers are red and black color later. The dwarf elder flowers from June to August. As fruits black, berry-like drupes are formed. The dwarf - elder has an offensive odor.
Toxicity
The whole plant is poisonous, but especially the seeds of black berries. The main active ingredients in the fruits are toxic bitter substance with the two Esteridoidglykosiden Ebulosid and Isoswerosid, along with caffeic acid, p- coumaric acid and traces of a Blausäureglykosids. From the methanolic extract of the root 14 substances were isolated, including Ebulosid, 7 Hydroxyebulosid, 6' -O- β -D - Apiofuranosylebulosid, Isoswerosid, Secoebolosid, Morronisid and Koaburasid.
The acute toxicity of the root is in the safe range and during the heyday of the greatest.
When taking fruits occurred spontaneous vomiting, nausea and diarrhea; even fatal poisoning are known.
Occurrence
The dwarf elder comes in the Mediterranean, temperate warm up to and including Central Europe and Germany in northern Iran and Turkmenistan before.
In Austria, the dwarf elder often comes in all federal states to scattered.
The species grows on bushes and forest edges, clearings, moorland, on fresh wild punches and in ruderal herbaceous communities. In the lowlands it occurs only occasionally, as in calcium-poor areas, otherwise it grows scattered and usually forming stands. She prefers nitrogen- rich saline and alkaline soils.
Use
The species is also cultivated as an ornamental plant and planted for dune fixing.