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[-JKP-]

Unfortunately, Sambucus is not viney, and I think the VMS drawing depicts a vine rather than a shrubby tree like Sambucus. The VMS leaves are not a good match for Sambucus, but if the spade-shaped leaf is mnemonic, I guess they don't have to be.


There are a lot of plants with leaves like that (and with seeds like that). It's hard to know if it's mnemonic or literal.

Here's what I have on my list...

It's a reasonably good match for either Smilax excelsa or Smilax aspera, which are viney, have clusters of red berries, and spade-shaped leaves:

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Smilax asper image courtesy of Carsten Niehaus, Wikipedia.  Botanical image is Smilax aristolochia



Dioscorea communis has many of the same properties, but the leaves are closer to heart-shaped. BUT, it does have yam-shaped tubers, which might be important:

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Image credit Hechtonicus, Wikipedia


Tamus edulis is essentually the same as Dioscorea communis.



Similar but not quite as good as the above:

Maianthemum convallaria looks like this but it only has two leaves, not a whole row of them.

Farther afield...

Also Tinospora cordifolia, although this is an Indian plant and Tinospora smilacina is Australian.
Basella alba is Indian.
Cocculus carolinus is North American and the leaves are variable. Sometimes spade-shaped, sometimes palmate.
Smilax aristolochifolia is Central American.


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Thinking of it in a different way (not as a vine, but as a tall plant that maybe can't fit on the folio and thus was bent over)...

Because the VMS berries or seeds are on the ends, I also was reminded of plants in the Rumex family that have spear-shaped leaves and clusters of distinctive red seeds at the ends.


BUT, if the shape and size of the root are literal, and if it's a vine, then Dioscorea communis (and secondarily Smilax) gets my vote.