382 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Family 110. Cornace^. Dogwood Family 

 574. silky cornel 



CORNUS AMOMllM Mill. 



Rather common along low parts of the lake shore, forming 

 low thickets. Found in the flat south of Outlet Bay, in the 

 swamp by Farrar's, and by the green boathouse near the south 

 end of the lake. The fruit, which is not borne in great abund- 

 ance, is remarkable for being of a beautiful pale blue shade, one 

 of the rarest of colors among fruits. It is not at all a showy color, 

 and it is only bj^ focussing attention somewhat narrowly on a 

 bunch of ripened fruit that one can properly appreciate it. It is 

 one of those objects that do not readily take the casual glance, 

 but whose charms grow and increase under close scrutiny. We 

 have not seen birds feeding on the berries of this particular species, 

 although they probably do so to some extent. At the south end of 

 the lake we found an old empty bird's nest well filled with the 

 seeds of a species of Cornus, probably this. The shell had been 

 gnawed through and the kernels eaten out, probably by mice. 



575. RED-OSIER DOGWOOD 



CORNUS STOLONIFERA Michx. 



Common, forming dense clumps in low flat places in black 

 ground. Found along the low border of the lake by Green's, be- 

 tween Farrar's and Overmyer's, and by Norris Inlet; also found 

 at the tamarack swamp. Not a very conspicuous plant during the 

 growing season, though the flat corymbs of small white flowers 

 and the white berries when ripe are mildly attractive. The plant 

 shows at its best during the winter, especially when there is snow, 

 when the bright red of the bark of the young shoots shows con- 

 spicuously. In landscape gardening and laying out of parks where 

 each season has to be considered and provided for, this plant, or a 

 species that is closely related, usually C. tartarica, is used for the 

 mass of color the red bark gives to winter landscapes. In flower 

 about the lake during the middle and latter part of May. 



576. PANICLED CORNEL 



CORNUS FEMINA Mill. 



Not very common about the lake ; a patch noted on the east side 

 of Long Point near McSheehy's, and another southward not far 

 from Farrar's. Not so much a lover of wet swamps as the last 

 two species, it grows best and most extensively on flat loamy 



