270 ELDEK. 



Description. — Coiniuon Elder is a small tree, attaining the 

 height of twelve to twenty feet, covered with a rough ash co- 

 loured bark ; the wood is smooth and white ; the young branches 

 are opposite, green, fistulous, and filled with a white spongy pith. 

 The leaves are opposite, petiolate, pinnated, smooth, and of a 

 deep green colour ; the pinnae usually five, ovate, lanceolate, 

 acute, serrated, the terminal one the largest ; footstalks angular, 

 channelled. The flowers are numerous, small, white, or cream 

 coloured, disposed in large terminal cymes, with five principal 

 branches, and many secondary ones. The calyx is superior, 

 permanent, very small, five-cleft, and smooth. The corolla is 

 rotate, slightly concave, with five deep obtuse segments. The 

 stamens are five, with subulate filaments about as lonff as the 

 corolla, into the throat of which they are inserted, terminated 

 by yellow, cordate, two-celled anthers. The germen is inferior, 

 ovate, smooth, without a style, but supporting three roundish, 

 obtuse stigmas. The berries are succulent, globose, purplish- 

 black when ripe, one-celled, containing three or four linear- 

 ovate, plano-convex seeds. Plate 17, fig. 4, (of) corolla; (A) 

 calyx, germen, and stigmas ; (c) the fruit ; (d) berry cut trans- 

 versely. 



Elder is a well-known tree, frequent in hedges, woods, and 

 coppices in this country. It is found in similar situations through- 

 out Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, and Japan. It flowers in 

 June, and ripens its berries in September. 



Sambucus is so called from (ra/xSt;^.^, sambuca, a musical 

 instrument, probably the sackbut, in the construction of which 

 the wood of this tree is said to have been employed. Elder is 

 derived from the Saxon ellapa ; it is sometimes called Boor-tree 

 in the north. 



There are three or four varieties which are seldom found 

 wild, but are cultivated in shrubberies and gardens. 1 he chief 

 of these are, the laciniated [Sambucus nigra lacmiata), the leaves 

 of which are variously incised ; and the white-berried (S. leu- 

 cocarpa) which has more fragrant flowers than the common 

 kind, and the berries larger, white or greenish-white, and more 

 agreeably flavoured for domestic purposes. 



Economical Uses. — The wood being hard and tough is made 

 into skewers, tops for angling rods, and needles for weaving nets; 

 it is also employed by turners and cabinet-makers. The branches 



