Sambucus adnata Wall.

Himalaya (Nepal to Bhutan), Assam, S. Tibet, W. China.

2000-3700 m

Flowering from May to July; fruiting from September to October.

Sambucus adnata is close relative of Sambucus chinensis, but differs from the latter in its red (vs. non-red) roots, without staminate and pistillate (vs. with staminate and pistillate) flowers.

Sambucus adnata is occurring in Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xizang of China.

Phylogeny of Sambucus were inferred from nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA, preliminary morphology, and a combination of the two data sets (Eriksson and Donoghue, 1997). Monophyly of Sambucus was strong supported based on ITS sequences and in the combined analysis. Within Sambucus, species with paniculate inflorescences (sect. Botryosambucus) form a well-supported clade, within which the red-fruited species are monophyletic. These results support the view that paniculate inflorescences and red fruits evolved independently in Sambucus and Viburnum.

Suffrutescent herbs or low shrubs, 1-2 m tall; root and rhizome red. Stem herbaceous with obvious pith. Leaves imparipinnate with stipules; leaflets 3-5, elliptical, ovate, lanceolate, 4-15 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, acuminate at apex, base obtuse to rounded and oblique, serrulate, sparely pubescent on upper surface, densely pubescent on the veins. Inflorescence a terminal compound corymb, ca. 15 cm. Flowers white, on slender pedicel, calyx lobes triangular, ca. 0.5 mm long, corolla rotate, 5-lobed, ovate, ca. 1.5 mm long, stamen 5, alternating with corolla lobes, anthers rounded, yellow; ovary 3-celled, style very short, stigma 3-lobed. Fruits globose, fleshy, red.

The chromosomal number of Sambucus adnata is 2n = 36 (Huang et al., 1996).

Growing in under forests, shrubs, stream banks; 1600-3600 m.

Sambucus adnata is used medicinally.