Sambucus ebulus

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European dwarf elder
Sambucus nigra flori bgiu.jpg
Danewort inflorescence
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Adoxaceae
Genus: Sambucus
Species:
S. ebulus
Binomial name
Sambucus ebulus
L.
Synonyms [1]
  • Ebulum humile(Mill.) Garcke
  • Sambucus herbaceaGilib.
  • Sambucus humilisMill.
Dwarf elder berries SambucusEdulus-Ripe.jpg
Dwarf elder berries

Sambucus ebulus, also known as danewort, dane weed, danesblood, dwarf elder or European dwarf elder, walewort, [2] dwarf elderberry, [3] elderwort and blood hilder, is a herbaceous species of elder, native to southern and central Europe and southwest Asia. The species is a well-established archaeophyte in much of the UK, [4] and is also reportedly naturalized in parts of North America (New York, New Jersey and Québec). [5]

Contents

Description

Sambucus ebulus grows to a height of 1–2 m and has erect, usually unbranched stems growing in large groups from an extensive perennial underground stem rhizome. The leaves are opposite, pinnate, 15–30 cm long, with 5-9 leaflets with a foetid smell. The stems terminate in a corymb 10–15 cm diameter with numerous white (occasionally pink) flat-topped hermaphrodite flowers. The fruit is a small glossy black berry 5–6 mm diameter. The ripe fruit give out a purple juice. [2] [6]

The name danewort comes from the belief that it only grows on the sites of battles that involved the Danes. [2] The term 'walewort' or 'walwort' meant 'foreigner plant.' The plant's stems and leaves turn red in autumn and this may explain the link with blood. The word Dane may link to an old term for diarrhoea. [2]

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the seeds. [7] [8] Much like the fruits of other elder species, this toxicity can be neutralized via cooking. [7]

Uses

Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L) is one of the best known medicinal herbs since ancient times. In view of its benefits as a widely applicable phytomedicine, it is still used in folk medicine of different parts of the world. In addition to its nutritional values, dwarf elder contains different phytochemicals among which flavonoids and lectins are responsible for most of its therapeutic effects. Dwarf elder has been used for different ailments including: joint pains, cold, wounds, and infections." [7] [9]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Glechoma hederacea</i> Species of flowering plants in the mint and sage family Lamiaceae

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<i>Tussilago</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

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<i>Ophiopogon japonicus</i> Species of grass

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<i>Cassia fistula</i> Species of plant

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<i>Tanacetum parthenium</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

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<i>Podophyllum peltatum</i> Species of flowering plants belonging to the barberry family

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<i>Ajuga reptans</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> Berry and plant

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<i>Nandina</i> Genus of flowering plants belonging to the barberry family

Nandina domestica commonly known as nandina, heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Nandina. It is widely grown in gardens as an ornamental plant with a number of cultivars that display bright-red fall foliage in the cool months, and attractive new foliage growth in spring. Although a popular ornamental shrub, the berries are toxic to birds, especially towards the end of the winter when other food sources become scarce.

<i>Sambucus canadensis</i> Species of plant

Sambucus canadensis, the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a species of elderberry native to a large area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to Bolivia. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry soils, primarily in sunny locations.

<i>Sambucus nigra</i> Species of flowering plant in the moschatel family Adoxaceae

Sambucus nigra is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental shrub or small tree. Both the flowers and the berries have a long tradition of culinary use, primarily for cordial and wine.

<i>Impatiens balsamina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Balsaminaceae

Impatiens balsamina, commonly known as balsam, garden balsam, rose balsam, touch-me-not or spotted snapweed, is a species of plant native to India and Myanmar.

<i>Symphytum officinale</i> Species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae

Symphytum officinale is a perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. Along with thirty four other species of Symphytum, it is known as comfrey. To differentiate it from other members of the genus Symphytum, this species is known as common comfrey or true comfrey. Other English names include boneset, knitbone, consound, and slippery-root. It is native to Europe, growing in damp, grassy places. It is locally frequent throughout Ireland and Britain on river banks and ditches. It occurs elsewhere, including North America, as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. The flowers are mostly visited by bumblebees. Internal or long-term topical use of comfrey is discouraged due to its strong potential to cause liver toxicity.

<i>Sambucus racemosa</i> Species of plant

Sambucus racemosa is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder.

<i>Pimpinella major</i> Species of flowering plant

Pimpinella major, common name greater burnet-saxifrage or hollowstem burnet saxifrage, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Pimpinella belonging to the carrot family (Apiaceae).

<i>Iris sambucina</i> Species of plant

Iris sambucina, the elder scented iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from southern and central Europe. It has green, curved or sword-like leaves, tall round stem, multiple flowers in shades from brown violet, or brown-purple, to purple-violet, blue violet, mauve, and to purple. The large flowers are fragrant, with the scent of elderflowers, hence the name. It was first considered a separate species, then it was classified as a synonym of Iris germanica, before being classified as a separate species again, but with a hybrid origin from Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

References

  1. The Plant List
  2. 1 2 3 4 Westwood, Jennifer (1985). Albion. A Guide to Legendary Britain. London : Grafton Books. ISBN   0-246-11789-3. p. 103
  3. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sambucus ebulus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  4. "Elder (Dwarf) / Dwarf Elder / Danewort - Wild Flower Finder".
  5. BONAP (Biota of North America Project) floristic synthesis, Sambucus ebulus
  6. Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0 521 04656 4 [ page needed ]
  7. 1 2 3 Jabbari, Marzie; Daneshfard, Babak; Emtiazy, Majid; Khiveh, Ali; Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem (October 2017). "Biological Effects and Clinical Applications of Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus L): A Review". Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 22 (4): 996–1001. doi:10.1177/2156587217701322. PMC   5871274 . PMID   28397551.
  8. Roth, Lutz; Daunderer, Max; Kormann, Kurt (2001). Giftpflanzen – Pflanzengifte. Giftpflanzen von A–Z. Notfallhilfe. Vorkommen. Wirkung. Therapie. Allergische und phototoxische Reaktionen (in German). Hamburg: Nikol. ISBN   3-933203-31-7.
  9. Vogl S, Picker P, Mihaly-Bison J, et al. (October 2013). "Ethnopharmacological in vitro studies on Austria's folk medicine—An unexplored lore in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of 71 Austrian traditional herbal drugs". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 149 (3): 750–71. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.007. PMC   3791396 . PMID   23770053.