''Sambucus velutina'', the velvet elder, is a relatively large,

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub that is endemic to the Southwestern region of the United States. This particular species is characteristic of Central California and Western Nevada.

Morphological characteristics

The velvet elder has medium-hued, green,

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...

leaves, that are notably hairy to the touch. Generally, there are about 5-9 individual leaflets present, each measuring anywhere from 5-30 centimeters (cm) in length. The plants are capable of growing up to anywhere from 3–8 meters (m) in height, with a typical, relatively thick, stem diameter of approximately 30-60 centimeter (cm). These plants have berries that are black and deep blue in color. These characteristics can be observed amongst many of the similar species that will be briefly discussed below. Sambucus velutina-Velvet Elder

Similar species

There are numerous, closely related species that are typically found throughout many regions of North America. ''Sambucus velutina'' is exclusively found in the Southwestern portion of the United States, yet multiple other genetically similar species can also be found living in other areas of the country. A few examples of such species include ''

Sambucus canadensis ''Sambucus canadensis'', the American black elderberry, Canada elderberry, or common elderberry, is a North American species of elderberry. Description It is a deciduous suckering shrub growing to tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs ...

'' (American elder), ''

Sambucus cerulea ''Sambucus cerulea'' or ''Sambucus nigra'' subsp. ''cerulea'', with the common names blue elderberry and blue elder, is a coarse textured shrub species of Sambucus, elder in the family Adoxaceae. Description ''Sambucus cerulea'' is a large, ...

'' (blue elderberry), and '' Sambucus simpsonii'' (Florida elder).

References

plant.photos.netplantmaps.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7409113 velutina Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora without expected TNC conservation status