30 Graines Sureau noir, Sambucus nigra

Black elderberry, sambucus nigra |

The Black Elder (Sambucus Nigra L., 1753), or Large elderberry, is a species ofArbrisseaux or D 'shrubs Caducifoliés Fruitier rapid growth. It is present in Europe, in Western Asia and North Africa. It is used in cooking for its fruits and flowers, always consumed cooked. Elder flowers are commonly used for the preparation of Limonade with elderberries, elderberry syrup but it is also cooked in donuts. The fruits usually enter the preparation of cakes and are consumed in juice, jelly and in the form of elderberry jam. The raw berries, which contain an alkaloid, destroyed during cooking, are however laxative and can cause nausea and vomiting if they are consumed in large quantities.

30 seeds - Average germination: 20% - Stratify in the cold for 4-5 months before sowing

This shrub with often curved branches6, usually 4 to 5 meters high, can reach 8 meters7. Its growth is rapid, especially in fertile and fresh soils. He rejects of strain. It is an essence of light or half shade, rustic, appreciating basic soils with neutral^{[réf. nécessaire]}.

Its quite heavy and dense wood (0.59-0.69) is very homogeneous, protected by a Bark green and cracked.

The Leaves Caduques, Opposites and Imparipennées are made up of 5 to 7 Leaflets, at the pointed end and denty edge , a little more hairy on the ribs8. The leaves have a unpleasant smell when they are offended.

The flowers hermaphrodites, scented, at 5 stamens and 5 petals creamy white appear after the leaves, at the beginning of summer ; They are arranged in Corymbes Plans, 100 to 240 MM in diameter7.

The fruit are small purplish black bays with soft flesh of 6-8 MM arranged in clusters, comprising three Seeds.

Black elderberry is easily multiplied by SENIS (with a Stratification of the seeds) and by COUTURATION (in the fall using a rod of 20 CM of the year having started to transform into wood and comprising part of the branch of the previous year).

Its baked flowers and bays are edible, but all the other parts of the plant containcalcium oxalate and are therefore toxic. The non -mature fruit also contains an alkaloid toxic, which is destroyed by cooking. The raw berries consumed in large quantities can cause nausea and vomiting in humans 16.

Black elderberries contains Sambunigrine and Vicianine, two Glycosides Cyanogenetics.Cyanhydrical acid is released by Enzymes Vegetables in the animal organism, after ingestion17.

Contents subject to the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license. Source : Article Sambucus Nigra by Wikipedia in French (Authors)