ELDER. LABURNUM ] 83 



though their foliage in summer may be bright or even 

 dark green.) 



Small loose crowned trees, not more [For () -' 

 than about 20 ^ feet high, and may see p. 187.] 

 be little more than shrubs. 



$ Twigs stout, long, erect, and not 

 pendent nor plumose: internodes 

 long and leaves large, pinnate and 

 opposite; bark corky, pale tawny, 

 deeply furrowed. Floivers white in 

 dense corymbs; fruits black berries. 



Sambucus nigra, L. Elder (Fig. 85). Bark reminding 

 one to some extent of Acer campestre, but much coarser. 

 The long internodes and switch-like suckers and twigs, 

 with opposite fringed buds, and the large pinnate leaves, 

 more or less umbellate cymes, dark berries, &c. are very 

 characteristic. So, also, is the bushy habit, with a tendency 

 to fling over the branches in curves, giving off erect switch- 

 like branches which, like the suckers, have a large pith. 

 Suckers straight and erect. 



Jf Jf Twigs not stout and leaves not pin- 

 nate; fissures of bark very shallow; 

 flowers not white and fruit not fleshy. 



-^ Crown rather rounded, the stem 

 soon lost in branches at acute 

 angles. Branches few, stiff, green 

 and smooth for a long time, and 

 then with a but slightly fissured 

 olive-grey bark. Leaves ternate 

 silky -whitish. Flowers yellow, pa- 

 pilionaceous, in pendent racemes. 

 Fruit a legume. 



Gytisus Laburnum, L. Laburnum In flower the 

 Laburnum is unmistakable, its pendent racemes of 

 yellow papilionaceous flowers, followed by dull pendent 



