Elderberry (Sambucus)

Elderberry
Microscopic image of the cross section through the stem of an elder plant (Sambucus)” caption=”Microscopic image of the cross section through the stem of an elder plant (Sambucus)

This is a bright field image of the cross section of an elder plant. The inner part of the stem has a styrofoam-like consistency and is commonly used for making microtome cuts when preparing microscopic specimens. The elder (or elderberry) belongs to the genus of Sambucus. There are between 5 and 30 species in this genus.