XXII. ALTERNATE-LEAVED CORNEL. 409 



Asia, and one is found in all the northern parts of both con- 

 tinents. The bark is very bitter and tonic. Hardy plants, 

 some of themhighly ornamental, easily propagated by seed, by 

 suckers, or by layers or cuttings. 



Section First. — Flowers in cymes, without an involucre* 

 Sp. 1. The Alternate-leaved Cornel. C. altemifblia. L. 



A beautiful shrub, six to eight feet high, sometimes a graceful 

 small tree of fifteen, twenty, or even twenty-five feet, throwing 

 off, at one or more points, several branches which, slightly ascend- 

 ing, diverge and form nearly horizontal, umbrageous stages or 

 flats of leaves, so closely arranged as to give almost a perfect 

 shade. It is distinguished from the other species by having its 

 leaves and branches alternate. Recent shoots of a shining 

 light yellowish green, with oblong, scattered, lenticellar dots. 

 The older branches of a rich, polished green, striate with gray, 

 the striae at last occupying almost the whole surface, and only 

 at intervals allowing the then purple bark to shine through. 

 Leaves alternate, on long, round, channelled footstalks, oval or 

 elliptic, acute or wedge-shaped at base, with a long acumina- 

 tion, entire, somewhat revolute at the margin, dark green, shin- 

 ing, deeply channelled above, glaucous or hoary, with silken, 

 bicuspidate hairs beneath. 



Flowers in an irregularly branched head or cyme ; the partial 

 footstalks not rising from one point, as in others of this genus, 

 but alternate and very unequal ; calyx with four very minute 

 teeth, and, like the pedicels, hairy. Corolla of four oblong, 

 pointed, white, or pale yellow, reflexed segments ; stamens 

 four, longer than the corolla, large, tapering, with yellowish 

 white anthers; style short, with a capitate stigma. Fruit 

 blue-black. 



A beautiful plant, with a great variety of character. Ic 

 grows naturally in moist woods or on the sides of hills; but 

 when cultivated, flourishes in almost every kind of soil, and 

 even in very dry situations. It flowers in May and June, and 

 the fruit ripens in October. 

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