ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD 



ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD 



CSrnus alternifolia. 



Usually a shrub sending up several stems from the ground ; some- 

 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, sapwood pale ; heavy, hard, close-grained. 

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



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

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

 fall. 



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, 

 sHghtly 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, haity, 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. 



Sta7)iens. — 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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