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Key to Sambucus

Viburnaceae

Sambucus

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(c) Boevski, Dimitǎr - CC-BY
1 Stems herbaceous, growing 1-2 meters tall; leaflets usually > 3× as long as wide; stipules conspicuous, ovate; anthers purple
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
(c) Danielson, Erik
1 Stems woody, growing 4+ meters tall; leaflets usually < 2.5× as long as wide; stipules small, linear; anthers cream.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
  2 Inflorescence paniculate, normally longer than broad; fruits red when ripe; pith of stems and second-year branches brown; leaves with 5-7 leaflets, these never further divided; [primarily of the Mountains, extending into the Piedmont in VA]
(c) Christine - CC-BY
  2 Inflorescence cymose, normally broader than long; fruits black or deep purple when ripe; pith of stems and second-year branches white; leaves with 5-11 leaflets, the lower leaflets sometimes further divided; [collectively widespread].
(c) Younghands, Weaver - CC-BY-SA
(c) Christine - CC-BY
    3 Leaflets (5-) 7-9 (-13 or more); pyrenes smooth or faintly rugose; fruits purplish black, 3-6 mm in diameter; stipels often prominent, linear, to 10 mm long; [common, widespread, and native]
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
(c) ramazan_murtazaliev - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
    3 Leaflets 5 (-7); pyrenes strongly rugose; fruits black, 6-8 mm in diameter; stipels usually absent; [rare and exotic]