Habit: Generally shrub to small tree, deciduous; main trunk generally 0.
Stem: pith large, spongy.
Leaf: 1(2)-odd-pinnately compound; leaflets serrate.
Inflorescence: panicle of cymes, terminal, generally +- dome-shaped.
Flower: ovary chambers 3--5, ovules pendent; style +- 0, stigma lobes 3--5.
Fruit: drupe, berry-like.
Seed: 3--5.
Species In Genus: 20 species: temperate, subtropics some cultivated as ornamental.
Etymology: (Greek: for stringed instrument made from wood of genus)
Toxicity: Toxic in quantity (except cooked fruits).
Jepson eFlora Author: Charles D. Bell
Reference: Bolli 1994 Diss Bot 223:1--256
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)Key to Sambucus
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