Sambucus peruviana
Sambucus peruviana | |
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Tree in flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | Dipsacales |
Family: | Adoxaceae |
Genus: | Sambucus |
Species: | S. peruviana |
Binomial name | |
Sambucus peruviana Kunth | |
Synonyms | |
Sambucus nigra L. subsp. peruviana (Kunth) Bolli (current name) |
Sambucus peruviana, now reclassified as Sambucus nigra subsp. peruviana, [1] with the common names saúco or rayan, is a species native to Central America and South America.
It is a medium-sized, spreading tree or shrub, of the elderberry genus Sambucus.
Distribution
The plant is native to: the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and northwestern Argentina; and to the mountain ranges of Central America in Costa Rica and Panama.[2]
Uses
It is one of the few elderberry species that can be eaten uncooked, and its primary use by humans is as a fruit. Similar to some other elderberry species, the fruits can also be made into jams, syrups, and wines; and the flowers can be made into fritters.
Saúco is used in traditional medicine as a diaphoretic, and for sore throats.[3]
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sambucus peruviana. |