CORNACEAE. 



II. 



io. Cornus stricta L,am. Stiff Cor- 

 nel or Dogwood. (Fig. 2719.) 



Cornus stricta Lam. Encycl. a: 116. 1786. 



Cornus fastigiata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 92. 

 1803. 



A shrub, 8-i5 high, resembling the pre- 

 ceding species, the twigs purplish or reddish 

 brown. Leaves petioled, ovate or ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, acute or acuminate at the apex, nar- 

 rowed or sometimes rounded at the base, 

 sparingly and finely appressed-pubescent on 

 both sides, 1%'-$' long, the margins often 

 minutely denticulate, green above and be- 

 neath; cymes rather loosely flowered, i#'- 

 2%' broad, their rays nearly or quite gla- 

 brous; petals white, ovate-lanceolate, or ob- 

 long; fruit pale blue, about 3" in diameter; 

 stone globose, nearly smooth. 



In swamps, Virginia to Georgia and Florida. 

 April-May. 



ii. Cornus alternifolia L,.f. 



Alternate-leaved Cornel or Dogwood. 



(Fig. 2720.) 



Cornus allemifolia L. f. Suppl. 125. 1781. 



A shrub, or small tree, with smooth greenish 

 bark, reaching a maximum height of about 30 

 and trunk diameter of 8'. Leaves slender- 

 petioled, alternate, often clustered near the ends 

 of the branches, oval or ovate, acuminate at 

 the apex, narrowed or sometimes rounded at 

 the base, a'-4' long, pale and appressed-pubes- 

 cent beneath, glabrate above, the margins mi- 

 nutely denticulate; petioles #'-l %' long; cymes 

 2'-4 / broad, pubescent; petals white, or cream- 

 color, lanceolate; fruit globular, or slightly de- 

 pressed, blue, about 4" in diameter; stone some- 

 what obovoid, channeled, scarcely flattened. 



In woods. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to 

 Georgia, west to Ontario, Minnesota and Alabama. 

 Ascends to 2500 ft. in Virginia. Wood hard, reddish 

 brown; weight per cubic foot 42 IDS. May-July. 



2. NYSSA L,. Sp. PI. 1058. 1753. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate petioled entire or dentate leaves. Flowers small, green- 

 ish, polygamo-dioecious, in capitate clusters, short racemes, or the fertile ones sometimes 

 solitary, borne at the summit of slender axillary peduncles, appearing with the leaves. 

 Staminate flowers numerous, the calyx small, 5-parted, the petals minute and fleshy, or 

 none; stamens 5-15; filaments slender; disk entire or lobed; pistil none or rudimentary. 

 Pistillate flowers 2-14, or solitary, bracted; calyx-limb 5-toothed, or truncate; petals minute 

 and fleshy, or none; stamens several, or commonly abortive; ovary i-celled, with i pendu- 

 lous ovule; style slender, recurved, stigmatic along one side near the apex. Drupe ovoid or 

 oval, the stone bony, compressed, ridged or terete, l-seeded. [Name of a water nymph.] 



About 7 species, natives of eastern North America, eastern and central Asia. Besides the fol- 

 lowing, another occurs in the southern States. 



Leaves usually entire; pistillate flowers 2-14; fruit z"~7" long. 



Leaves mostly acute or acuminate; stone little flattened. i. N. sylvalica. 



Leaves mostly obtuse; stone much flattened. 2. N. biflora. 



Leaves usually dentate ; pistillate flower solitary; fruit 8"-i5" long. 3. N. aquatica. 



