NYSSACEAE 853 



fruiting pedicels curved, 4-9 cm. long : drupes oblong or oblong-obovate, nearly 3 cm. long, 



dark purple, acid : stone with about 10 sharp ridges, slightly flattened. [N. uniflora Wang. ] 



In river swamps, Virginia to Missouri, Florida and Texas. Spring. TUPELO GUM. COTTON GUM. 



3. SVIDA Opiz. 



Shrubs or trees with a hard close-grained wood. Branches mostly opposite. Leaves 

 opposite or rarely alternate : blades entire. Flowers perfect, in naked dichotomous 

 cymes. Sepals 4. Petals 4, valvate, elongated, white. Stamens 4 : filaments filiform or 

 subulate. Ovary 2- or rarely 3-celled. Drupe with a thin pulp : stone crustaceous or 

 bony, 2-seeded. Seeds variously flattened, with a membranous testa. CORNEL. DOG- 

 WOOD. 



Leaves alternate. 1. S. alternifolia. 



Leaves opposite. 



Lower leaf-surfaces glabrous. 



Twigs gray : drupes white : stones broader than high. 2. S. candidissima. 



Twigs reddish brown : drupes pale blue : stones mostly longer than broad. 3. S. stricta. 

 Lower leaf-surfaces with straight or curled hairs. 



Stones longer than broad : drupes 3-4 mm. in diameter. 



Leaf-blades membranous, those below a peduncle oblong or oval. 4. S. microcarpa. 



Leaf-blades leathery, those below a peduncle ovate to ovate-lanceolate. 5. S. Priceae. 

 Stones broader than long : drupes 6-8 mm. in diameter. 



Sepals much shorter than the hypanthium : drupe white : stone sharply 



4-angled. 6. S. tupertfoMa. 



Sepals about as long as the hypanthium : drupe pale-blue : stone slightly 



angled. 7. S. Amomum. 



1. Svida alternifolia ( L. f. ) Small. A shrub or tree sometimes 9 m. tall, with a 

 smooth or shallowly fissured bark. Leaves alternate ; blades elliptic or oval, varying to 

 ovate or obovate, 5-15 cm. long, acuminate at both ends or rounded at the base, promi- 

 nently nerved, sparingly pubescent when young glabrous in age, whitish beneath ; petioles 

 slender, 1-5 cm. long : cymes open, 5-10 cm. broad : hypanthium campanulate : sepals 

 minute, acute : corolla 7 mm. broad : petals oblong-ovate, recurved, thickened at the 

 apex : drupe depressed-globose, 8-10 mm. broad, blue-black : stone broader than high, 

 obovoid, 5-6 mm. broad, with many longitudinal furrows. [Cornus alternifolia L. f.] 



On hillsides, New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Alabama. Spring. 



2. Svida candidfssima (Marsh.) Small. A slender shrub 1-5 m. tall, with gray 

 glabrous branchlets. Leaves opposite ; blades firm, elliptic or lanceolate, 4-15 cm. long, 

 acute or acuminate at both ends, sparingly appressed-pubescent or glabrous, pale or glau- 

 cescent beneath ; petioles 6-18 mm. long : cymes 3-6 cm. broad, loose, paniculate : 

 hypanthium urn-shaped : sepals triangular, acute : corolla 6-7 mm. broad : petals oblong 

 or oblong-lanceolate, rather obtuse : stamens sometimes longer than the petals : drupe 

 subglobose, white, 4-5 mm. in diameter : stone broader than high, 3-4 mm. broad, slightly 

 oblique, faintly ribbed and furrowed. [Cornus candidissima Marsh.] 



In rich or dry soil, Maine and Ontario to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Nebraska. Spring. 



3. Svida stricta (Lam.) Small. A shrub or tree 2-5 m. tall, with reddish brown 

 twigs and glabrous or sparingly pubescent foliage. Leaves opposite ; blades elliptic, oval 

 or ovate, 4-12 cm. long, firm, acuminate at both ends or acute at the base, undulate, paler 

 beneath than above ; petioles 5-10 mm. long, often sparingly appressed-pubescent : cymes 

 3-6 cm. broad, flat-topped : hypanthium urn-shaped : sepals triangular, about 0.5 mm. 

 long, acute : corolla 5-6 mm. broad : petals linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, acutish : 

 drupe subglobose, 5-6 mm. in diameter, pale blue : stone mostly longer than broad, slightly 

 oblique, faintly ribbed, hardly furrowed. [Comus stricta Lam.] 



In swamps, Virginia to Missouri, Florida and Texas. Spring. 



4. Svida microcarpa ( Nash) Small. A shrub 3-4 m. tall, with recurved stems, 

 branched above, the twigs brownish, sparingly pubescent. Leaves opposite ; blades thin- 

 nish, oval or elliptic, 3-9 cm. long, acute at each end and acuminate at the apex, appressed- 

 pubescent on both sides, the hairs on the lower surface more or less curled ; petioles 2-10 

 mm. long : cymes 2-5 cm. broad, pubescent : hypanthium pubescent, urn-shaped : sepals 

 triangular, acute : corolla 5 mm. broad : petals ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, re- 

 curved, rather obtuse : stamens slightly longer than the petals : drupe subglobose, 4 mm. 

 in diameter, light blue : stone much longer than broad, very slightly compressed, slightly 

 oblique. [Cornus microcarpa Nash. ] 



In low woods, Georgia and Florida. Spring. 



