CORNACEjE. 166 CORNCS. 



light-colored, thick and fleshy. The stem is round, smooth, often reddish, 

 simple, 1 — 2 feet high, witii a terminal whorl of 3 compound leaves, and a 

 central peduncle bearing a simple umbel. Leaves on round and smooth foot- 

 stalks, consisting of 5, rarely 3 or 7 obovate leaflets. The flowers are small, 

 yellowish, on short pedicels. The barren ones borne on separate plants have 

 larger ])elals and an entire cal^'X. The fertile ones are succeeded by berries 

 of a bright scarlet color. The root is in little estimation as a drug with us, 

 but it enters into the composition of almost every medicine used by the Chi- 

 nese and Tartars. June. July. Gaiseng. 



ORDER LXX. CORNACE^. The Comus Tribe. 



Cal— Sepals adherent to the ovary, the limb minute, 4 or 5-toollied or lobcd. 

 Cor.— Petals 4 or 5, distinct, alternate with the teeth of the calyx. 

 Sta.—OClhe same number as petals and alternate with them. 

 Ova.—l or 2-celled. Fruit a baccate drupe, crowned with the calyx. 



A small family of trees and shrubs, seldom herbs. Leaves opposite, (alternate in one 

 species) without stipules, with pinnate veins. Hairs fixed by the centre. They are natives 

 thronghuut the Temperate Zone of both continents. The order is distinsruished for its bit- 

 ter and astringent bark. That of Cornus florida is an excellent tonic, similar in its actiou 

 to the Peruvian bark. 



Cornus is the only North American genus. 



CORNUS. 



Calyx 4-toothecl ; corolla 4-petiiled ; drupe baccate, with a 

 2-celled nucleus ; involucre 4-leaved or 0. 



Lat. cornu, a horn. The w^ood has been considered as hard and durable as 

 horn. The Romans constructed warlike instruments of it; hoiia hello cornus, 

 Bays Virgil. Trees, shrubs and perennial herbs, with mostly opposite leaves 

 which are entire and pinnately veined. Flowers in cymes. Hairs centrally 

 fixed. Floral envelopes valvate in cestivation. 



■^Flovvers cymose ; involucre 0. Shrubs. 



1. C. STOLONI'fERA. Mx. C. alba. JFarig. 



Stems often stoloniferous ; branches smooth, spreading ; shoots virgate ; leaves 

 broad-ovate, acute, pubescent, hoary beneath ; cymes naked, flat ; berries white. 

 A small tree, 8 — 10 feet in hight, with smooth, slender, spreading branches, 

 whicii are commonly red, especially in winter. It often sends out from its 

 base prostrate and rooting stems, with erect shoots. Leaves distinctly nerved, 

 minutely pubescent and whitish tomentose beneath, petiolate and pointed. 

 Flowers in terminal cymes, white, followed by bluish white drupes. Accord- 

 ing to Dr. Bigelow, it sometimes blossoms twice a year. May. Jn. 



White-berried Cornel or Dogicood. 



2. C. alternifo'lla.. 



Leaves alternate, oval, acute, hoary beneath ; branches alternate, verrucose ; 

 drupes purple, globose. A small tree, about twice the hight of the last, in 

 moist woods. The branches are smooth, even, spreading from the upper part 

 of the stem, and forming a depressed summit. Bark greenish, marked with 

 warty streaks. Leaves irregularly scattered along the branches, oval-lanceo- 

 late, acute, entire, nerved, whitish undernealh, on rather long stalks. Flow- 

 ers pale bulF-color, in a loose cyme. Jn. jiltcrnutc-leaved Cornel or Dogwood. 



