CORNACE^. (dogwood FAMILY.) 185 



Opposite (except No. 1). Flowers in naked spreading cymes, or capitate, and 

 subtended by a colored involucre. 



* Flowers white, in a loose open cyme: involucre none. 

 I.e. alternifolia, L'Herit. Leaves oval, abruptly acute at each end, 

 pale aud pubescent beneath, long-petioled, and, like the greenish striped 

 branches, alternate ; drupes deep blue. — Banks of streams, Florida, aud 

 northward. May. — A widely branching shrub, or small tree. 



2. C. Stricta, Lam. Leaves ovate or oblong, abruptly acute or acu- 

 minate, smooth, whitish beneath ; cymes flat or depressed at the summit ; 

 drupes and anthers pale blue. — Swamps, Florida to North Carolina, and west- 

 ward. April. — A shrift) or small tree. Branches brown. 



3. C. paniculata, L'Herit. Leaves smooth, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 paler beneath ; cymes convex at the summit, somewhat pauicled, loose-flow- 

 ered; drupes white, depressed-globose. — North Carolina, and northward. 

 May- June. — Shrub 4° - 8^ high. Branches gray. 



4. C sericea, L. Leaves ovate or elliptical, smooth above, the lower 

 surface, like the purplish branches and close depressed cyme, silky-pubescent; 

 drupes pale blue. — Low woods. May. — Shrub 6° - 1 0° high. 



5. C. asperifolia, Michx. Leaves short-petioled, lanceolate-ovate or ob- 

 long, acute, very rough on both sides, as well as the branchlets aud flat cymes ; 

 drupes pale blue. — Dry woods, Florida to South Carolina, and westward. 

 June. — A shrub or small tree. Branches slender and sometimes warty. 



6. C. Stolonifera, Michx. Stem erect or declining, with reddish purple 

 shoots ; leaves ovate, abruptly acuminate, closely pubescent, whitish beneath ; 

 cymes small, dense, smooth ; drupes white. — Swamps and wet hanks, Ten- 

 nessee, and northward. May. 



* * Flowers capitate, subtended by a white 4-leaved involucre. 



7. C. florida, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or ovate, at length smooth on 

 both sides ; flowers greenish ; drupes ovoid, red. — Oak woods, common. 

 May. — A small tree. Wood hard and close-grained. Leaves of the involucre 

 emarginate and thickened at the summit, showy. 



2. NYSSA, L. Sour Gum. 



Flowers dicecio-polygamous. Sterile flowers in many-flowered heads or 

 cymes. Calyx .5-parted. Stamens 5-10. Petals and pistil none. Fertile 

 flowers single or few in a head. Calyx limb 5-toothed or obsolete. Petals .5, 

 minute, or wanting. Stamens 5-10, mostly sterile. Style long, revolute. 

 Stigma decurrent. Ovary 1-celled. Drupe 1-seeded. — Trees or shrubs. 

 Leaves alternate, entire or rarely toothed, finely reticulated. Flowers small, 

 greenish, on axillary or lateral peduncles. 



* Sterile flmvers in loose clusters. 

 1. N. sylvatica, Marsh. Leaves oval or obovate, mostly acute, tomen- 

 tose when young, at length shining above ; fertile peduncles long and slen- 

 der, 3-8-flowered ; drupes ovoid, dark blue. — Rich upland woods, Florida to 



