372 THE CARROT FAMILY. 



Oaeen Anne's lace, Daucus carota. It is as we know a beautiful plant, 

 unusually decorative, and has been the stock from which the cultivated car- 

 rot has been produced; but also through its rank growth it becomes an 

 objectionable weed, making often the farmer's life a burden to him. 



THE DOGWOOD FAMILY. 



ConiacecB, 



Trees or shrubs with sii7iple opposite, alternate or whorled leaves^ entire 

 or more seldom toothed, and which bear regular perfect or imperfect 

 flowers in cy?nes or other for?ns of itiflorescences. Fruit : a drupe. 



ALTERNATE=LEAVED DOGWOOD OR CORNEL. 



Cornus alter7iifblia. 



Flowers: small; growing in flat, open cymes and having no showy involucre. 

 Calyx : with four minutely toothed sepals. Corolla : with four lanceolate petals. 

 Stamens: four. Pistil: one. Fruit: dark blue drupes growing on reddish 

 pedicels. Leaves: alternate; clustered at the ends of the branches; slender 

 petioled ; elliptical ; entire or minutely denticulate; yellowish green and glabrous 

 above; paler and slightly pubescent underneath between the curved ribs. A 

 widely spreading shrub or small tree with reddish brown bark, smooth or broken 

 into narrow, irregular ridges. 



When the time is at hand for the earth to show forth its life and every 

 bough is bathed in warm sunny air, and buds burst and leaves unfold, there 

 is much presented through our woods by the dogwood trees and shrubs. 

 It is, however, only the so-called flowering one which, with its fine, broad 

 involucre, throws out a splendid shower of white at this season. The others 

 are without this showy signal, but still their small flowers clustered often in 

 large heads have their own attraction. Many of the genus charm us, more- 

 over, with exquisitely bright stems the bark of which retains sufficient colour 

 to make them cheerful looking objects throughout the winter when their 

 colouring matter and that of most of their neighbours has become inert. For 

 this feature of beauty alone they are often planted. In the autumn also 

 when beset with red, blue or white berries they are very handsome. By 

 many country people the bark of the dogwoods is made into a powerfultonic 

 for invigorating the system. In fact through the mountainous parts of the 

 SPUtb vvbere whiskey is made on the spot it is used as a basis for the drug. 



