CAPRIFOLIACE^E— HONEYSUCKLE 

 FAMILY 



AMERICAN ELDER. SWEET ELDER 



Sambucus canadensis. 



Sambucus is a word of doubtful origin and of no significance 

 as applied to this plant. An old explanation was that the 

 word is derived from sambuke, the Greek name of a musical 

 instrument supposed to have been made of the wood of this 

 plant. This explanation is now discredited. 



A thrifty shrub, five to fifteen feet high, abundant on the 

 borders of streams, in moist places and along fences. Bark, 

 leaves and berries are reputed of medicinal value. Suckers 

 freely ; the young shoot is a green withe. Common throughout 

 the northern states. 



Stems. — Filled with white pith ; swollen at the joints. Branch- 

 lets green at first, then pale yellowish gray with more or less 

 bloom, later darker gray with yellow lines, finally dark or yellow 

 brown. Lenticels prominent. 



Leaves. — Opposite, pinnately compound ; leaflets five to 

 eleven, almost sessile except the terminal which has a short peti- 

 olule, narrow-oblong or oblong-ovate, four to six inches long, 

 wedge-shaped or rounded at base, serrate, often entire toward 

 the base, acuminate or acute ; midrib and primary veins de- 

 pressed above, prominent below ; lower leaflet sometimes lobed. 

 They come out of the bud pale green, shining, very downy ; 

 when full grown are dark green, glabrous above, pale green, 

 glabrous or somewhat downy beneath. In autumn they remain 

 unchanged until destroyed by heavy frosts. When crushed they 

 exhale a heavy odor. Petiole two to three inches long, grooved, 



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