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Sambucus wightiana
| Common name: |
Elder |
Family: |
Caprifoliaceae |
| Author: |
Wall. |
Botanical references: |
145 |
| Synonyms: |
Sambucus gautschii (Wettst.), Sambucus ebulus (Clarke. non L.) |
| Known Hazards: |
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the leaves and stems of some, if not all, members of this genus are poisonous[9, 76]. The fruit of many species (although no records have been seen for this species) has been known to cause stomach upsets to some people. Any toxin the fruit might contain is liable to be of very low toxicity and is destroyed when the fruit is cooked[65, 76]. |
| Range: |
E. Asia - N. India. |
| Habitat: |
Mountain pathways, 2200 - 3000 metres. in the Himalayas. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
0 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| S. wrightiana[E]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Blood Hilder [H], Danewort [H], Dwarf Elder [H,B,P,E], Elderberry [E], Ine [E], Khaman Saghir [E], Kruidvlier [D], Walewort [H], Yermurveri [E], Yezgo [E], |
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Dipsacales. Honeysuckle family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Belgium
Eurasia Europe Germany(Badan) Iraq Kashmir Spain Turkey
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1m. . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
We rate it 0/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiphlogistic
Cholagogue Diaphoretic Diuretic Expectorant Purgative.
The plant has medicinal qualities[145]. No further details are given
but these are the medicinal properties of the closely related S. ebulus:-
The leaves are antiphlogistic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic,
expectorant and laxative[4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 240]. The fruit is also sometimes
used, but it is less active than the leaves[4]. The herb is commonly used in
the treatment of liver and kidney complaints[4]. When bruised and laid on
boils and scalds, they have a healing effect[4]. They can be made into a
poultice for treating swellings and contusions[4]. The leaves are harvested
in the summer and can be dried for later use[7].
The root is diaphoretic, mildly diuretic and a drastic purgative[4, 7, 9].
Dried, then powdered and made into a tea, it is considered to be one of the
best remedies for dropsy[4, 240]. It should only be used with expert
supervision because it can cause nausea and vertigo[9].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh berries or the bark[9]. It is
used in the treatment of dropsy[9].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Tolerates most soils, including chalk[200], but prefers a moist loamy
soil[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates some shade but is
best in a sunny position[1]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and coastal
situations[200].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame,
when it should germinate in early spring. Stored seed can be sown in the
spring in a cold frame but will probably germinate better if it is given 2
months warm followed by 2 months cold stratification first[78, 98, 113].
Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to
handle. If good growth is made, the young plants can be placed in their
permanent positions during the early summer. Otherwise, either put them in a
sheltered nursery bed, or keep them in their pots in a sheltered position and
plant them out in spring of the following year.
Division in spring or autumn.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
References for Sambucus ebulus (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Sambucus wrightiana (a possible synonym).
References for sambucus ebulus (a possible synonym).
References for the family Caprifoliaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.
[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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