“Cornaceae. Dogwood !'amily, 
Shrubs or trees, rarely herbaceous, with alternate or opposite. entire 
simple leaves, without stipules. “lowers perfect or unisexual, awe -like §.3 
or umbellate clusters, small. Sepals 4 or 5, Petals 4 or 5, valvate in nied 
the bud, Stemens 4 or 5, inserted with the petals on an epigynéus disco, 
Pistil 1, the ovary inferior, 1-2-chambered with 1 ovule in each chamber, 
ee 
aN i 
Cornus (Tourn.) Le 
Shrubs (C, canadensis herbaceous) with the characters of the family. 
© Herbs with usually 6 leaves seemingly in a whorl (. Ce canadensis ty 
© Shrubs with opposite leaves et 2.£: sbolonitiet 
Civerf Cornel, Bunchberry. ~~ 
1. Ce canadensis LL. A low herbaceous perennial with slender 
branching rootstocks, spreading and intricate, the bud scales 5-8 mn. long, 
ovate; stems erect, 10-20 cm. tall, 4-angled; leaves of the lower nodes oppo- 
site, 1-2 cm. long, those of the upper 5-4 cm. long, arranged in an apparent 
whorl of usually 6, sometimes 4, subtending the flower cluster, all elliptical 
or obovate, acute or acuminate, shortly petioled, entirs, sparingly pubescent 
with appressed hairs; flowers in small cross-shaped cymes, forming a hemispher- 
ical cluster 1-1.5 cm. broad, elevated upon a neduncle 1-2 cm. long, subtended 
by 2 unequal pairs of whitish or whitish ovate. petal-like bracts 1=2 om. 
long; sepals minute, broadly deltoid, petals white or purplish, 1.2 mn. long, 
erect and connivent, one or sometimes two produced into a soft erect prickle 
which acts as a trigger, which when disturbed releases the petals which 
become reflexed, the stamens flying smartly upward casting out the pollen in 
a tiny puff; ovary pubescent, the disc and style purple, the mature pedicels 
3 mme long; berry subglobose, 5-6 mme in diameter, brilliant orange-red. 
Throughout our region at intermediate elevations in shaded woods. 
