THE ELDER 



Sambucus glauca* NUTT. 



The Elder is a member of the Honey- 

 suckle family and conspicuous for the 

 great crops of greenish-white or pale 

 blue berries produced in late summer. 

 Though rather insipid they are esteemed 

 highly by many housewives as a filling 

 for pies. Many of the Indians will not 

 use them raw, claiming that they often 

 produce severe sickness. This, how- 

 ever, is not the fault of the fruit, but is 

 due rather to a small red spider which 

 lives in the fruit cluster and which is un- 

 knowingly eaten with the berries. The 

 dark, roughly fissured bark, steeped in 

 hot water, is used as a remedy in dropsy, 

 while the tea from the flower is said to 

 be efficacious as a fever remedy. 



* SAMBUCUS In Greek Sambux from which a musi- 

 cal instrument was made sackbut. Glauca means, 

 covered with a bloom or fine white powder of wax that 

 rubs off referring to the glaucous berry. 



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