Sambucus mexicana

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Sambucus mexicana may refer to the following North American black or blue elderberry species:

Contents

= Sambucus mexicana var. bipinnataSchltdl. & Cham.
= Sambucus canadensis L.
= Sambucus nigra L. subsp. canadensis(L.) Bolli [1]
= Sambucus mexicanaC.Presl ex DC. subsp. cerulea(Raf.) A.E.Murray [2]
= Sambucus cerulea Raf.
= Sambucus nigra L. subsp. cerulea(Raf.) Bolli [3]

Overview

Sambucus Mexicana, or Sambucus Nigra, is also known as Blue Elderberry, has a Genus background and is part of the Vibrionaceae (Caprifoliaceae) family tree. Its blooming period stretches from March to July. It is equally likely to occur in wetlands and non-wetlands. [4]

Description

Sambucus mexicana tree that grows between 2-9 meters tall (30 feet). [5] With pinnate leaves that consist of 5-9 leaflets, they emit a strong smell. The compounded leaves tend to be adorned with clusters of white to cream-colored, small flowers. These ensembles of flowers are conjoined with dark blue or black berries. [5]

Habitat Distribution

Despite Sambucus Mexicana being indigenous to California, it is widely distributed throughout Southwestern United States in states New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and as well as regions in Mexico. [6] Often situated in wetlands adjacent to rivers, scrublands, and woodlands. Due to the adaptability of the plant, it is both dry and moist tolerant and often thrives with a consistent water source. [6]

Uses

Traditional and Medicinal Uses

All preparations and uses of all parts (except the flowers) of Sambucus is with regards to the deadly amount of cyanide carried within the plant. With that aside, the medicinal benefits of this plant are immense and have carried its fortune from pre-colonial times until now. [7]

The flowers of Sambucus known as elder flowers can be picked and steeped into a tea for “colds, flu, fever, and clearing the skin”. [7] No additional preparation is necessary.

When harvesting the flowers of Sambucus take care to leave at least more than 80% of the flowers so that there will be enough for the berries to grow and for those berries to be used in the future. [7]

The bark of Sambucus is often used as “a cathartic, laxative, and diuretic”. [7] The preparation of the bark involves aging for at least a year so that the cyanide has time to degrade. Sambucus and other western species of elderberry need more time than other elderberry species as they have larger amounts of cyanide. Indigenous to California, Sambucus is one of the largest elder tree carrier of cyanide.

Culinary

The fully ripe berries of Sambucus may be used medicinally for immune benefits. Preparation includes removing all stems and possibly unripe berries. The unripe berries contain cyanide even if they age off of the branch. Oftentimes people will make tinctures or a common favorite, elderberry syrup which can be eaten with pancakes or any other way that syrup would normally be consumed.

Relation to Indigenous Peoples

Sambucus mexicana has been utilized by a variety of Indigenous tribes in California, like Acjachemen Indians of San Juan Capistrano, California, and is an important plant for them. [8] For the Acjachemen people, it is known as the “tree of music,” for the construction of wood to develop into clapper sticks, a wind instrument. [8]
Sambucus mexicana is closely related to many other elderberry species like Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) and Sambucus canadensis (American elderberry). [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honeysuckle</span> Genus of flowering plants

Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus Lonicera of the family Caprifoliaceae. It includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include Lonicera periclymenum, Lonicera japonica and Lonicera sempervirens. L. japonica is a highly invasive species considered a significant pest in parts of North America, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa.

<i>Sambucus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Sambucus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly referred to as elder, elderflower or elderberry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprifoliaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species in 33 to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia, while they are absent in tropical and southern Africa.

<i>Cercis canadensis</i> Species of tree

Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Michigan south to central Mexico, west to New Mexico. Species thrive as far west as California and as far north as southern Ontario. It is the state tree of Oklahoma. The prevalence of the so-called "Columbus strain" has seen the residents of Columbus, Wisconsin, embrace the plant in their city's identity. Known as the "Redbud City," the town hosts "Redbud Day" annually the Saturday before Mother's Day, organizing a variety of themed events to recognize the tree.

<i>Laburnum</i> Genus of plants

Laburnum, sometimes called golden chain or golden rain, is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are Laburnum anagyroides—common laburnum and Laburnum alpinum—alpine laburnum. They are native to the mountains of southern Europe from France to the Balkans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoxaceae</span> Family of plants

Adoxaceae, commonly known as moschatel family, is a small family of flowering plants in the order Dipsacales, now consisting of five genera and about 150–200 species. They are characterised by opposite toothed leaves, small five- or, more rarely, four-petalled flowers in cymose inflorescences, and the fruit being a drupe. They are thus similar to many Cornaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edible flower</span> Flowers that may be consumed safely

Edible flowers are flowers that can be consumed safely. Flowers may be eaten as vegetables as a main part of a meal, or may be used as herbs. Flowers are part of many regional cuisines, including Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

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

Sambucus canadensis, the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a North American species of elderberry.

<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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coniferous swamp</span> Forested wetlands dominated by conifers

Coniferous swamps are forested wetlands in which the dominant trees are lowland conifers such as northern white cedar. The soil in these swamp areas is typically saturated for most of the growing season and is occasionally inundated by seasonal storms or by winter snow melt.

<i>Sambucus cerulea</i> Species of tree

Sambucus cerulea or Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea, with the common names blue elderberry and blue elder, is a coarse textured shrub species of elder in the family Adoxaceae.

<i>Sambucus velutina</i> Species of shrub

Sambucus velutina, the velvet elder, is a relatively large, deciduous shrub that is endemic to the Southwestern region of the United States. This particular species is characteristic of Central California and Western Nevada.

<i>Sambucus pubens</i> Species of flowering plant

Sambucus pubens, the American red elder, is a species of elder (Sambucus) native to eastern North America. The inflorescence is a rounded panicle, making the plant easy to distinguish from the more common S. canadensis, which has a more open, flattened corymb. Some authors have considered S. pubens to be conspecific with S. racemosa L.

<i>Epitrimerus trilobus</i> Species of mite

Epitrimerus trilobus is a gall mite in the family Eriophyidae, found in Europe. The mites feed on the leaves of elder (Sambucus species), causing abnormal plant growths known as galls. The mite was described by the Austrian zoologist, Alfred Nalepa in 1891.

References

  1. ↑ Sambucus mexicanaC.Presl ex DC., Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), 13 Dec. 2013
  2. ↑ Sambucus mexicanaC.Presl ex DC. subsp. cerulea(Raf.) A.E.Murray USDA-NRCS PLANTS profile for Sambucus nigraL. ssp. cerulea(Raf.) R. Bolli
  3. ↑ "Sambucus mexicana". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Viers, Joshua A.; Thorne, James H.; Quinn, James F. (2006-10-22). "CalJep: A Spatial Distribution Database of CalFlora and Jepson Plant Species". San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. 4 (1). doi: 10.15447/sfews.2006v4iss1art1 . ISSN   1546-2366.
  5. 1 2 "Sambucus mexicana, Tapiro". www.laspilitas.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  6. 1 2 3 "Calflora". www.calflora.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Tierra, Michael (1988). Planetary Herbology. Lotus Press.
  8. 1 2 "Volume 58 Issue 1 | Economic Botany". bioone.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
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