ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD 



ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD 



C6rnus alternifblia. 



Usually a shrub sending up several stems from the ground ; sorm^ 

 times a tree, flat-topped and bushy, that reaches the height of twen- 

 ty-five feet. Found along the margins of the forest and by the bor- 

 ders of trees and swamps ; in moist, well drained soil. 



Bark. Dark reddish brown, with shallow ridges. Branchlets at 

 first pale reddish green, later dark green. 



Wood, Reddish brown, sap wood pale ; heavy, hard, close-grained. 

 Sp. gr., 0.6696; weight of cu. ft., 41.73 Ibs. 



Winter Buds. Light chestnut brown, acute. Inner scales enlarge 

 with the growing shoot and become half an inch long before they 

 f ill. 



Leaves. Alternate, rarely opposite, often clustered at the ends of 

 the branch, simple, three to five inches long, two to three wide, oval 

 or ovate, wedge-shaped or rounded at base ; margin is wavy toothed, 

 slightly reflexed, apex acuminate. They come out of the bud invo- 

 lute, reddish green above, coated with silvery white tomentum be- 

 neath, when full grown are bright green above, pale, downy, almost 

 white beneath. Feather-veined, midrib broad, yellowish, prominent 

 beneath, with about six pairs of primary veins. In autumn they turn 

 yellow, or yellow and scarlet. Petioles slender, grooved, hairy, with 

 clasping bases. 



Flowers. April, May. Perfect, cream color, borne in many-flow- 

 ered, broad, open cymes, at the end of short lateral branches. 



Calyx. Cup-shaped, obscurely four-toothed, woolly. 



Corolla. Petals four, valvate in bud, inserted on disk ; cream col- 

 ored, oblong, rounded at apex. 



Stamens. Four, inserted on the disk, alternate with the petals, 

 exserted ; filaments long, slender ; anthers oblong, introrse, versa- 

 tile, two-celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. Ovary inferior, two-celled ; style columnar ; stigma capi- 

 tate. 



Fruit. Drupe, globular, blue-black, one-third inch across, tipped 

 with remnant of style which rises from a slight depression ; nut obo- 

 void, many-grooved. October. 



This is the only Dogwood with alternate leaves ; all the 

 others bear their leaves opposite. The tree is very pretty 

 because of its wide spreading shelving branches and flat- 

 topped head, and is often found in ornamental grounds. The 

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