DOGWOOD FAMILY 



Calyx. — Tube bell-sliaped, four-toothed, coherent with the 

 ovary. 



Corolla. — Petals four, white, oblong-lanceolate, inserted on the 

 disk. 



Stamens. — Four, exserted ; filament threadlike, inserted with 

 the petals. 



Pistil. — Ovary inferior, two-celled ; style slender, stigma cap- 

 itate. 



Fruit. — Drupe, globose, white, about one-fourth of an inch in 

 diameter; stone variable in shape. Bitter, aromatic. September. 



Cor mis aspcrifolia is a western and southern species, 

 not occurring in New England or the Middle States. 

 In habit and general appearance it resembles CorniLS 

 stolonifcra, but the branches are brown instead of red, 

 and the branchlets rough-hair}^ It is a tall, hardy 

 species. 



RED-OSIER DOGWOOD 



Cor mis stolonifcra. 



Three to six feet high, found in wet places. Ranges from New 

 Brunswick and Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Vir- 

 ginia, westward to Kentucky and Nebraska. 



Stems. — Branchlets at first reddish, downy ; later dark red ; 

 and in winter, stems, branches and twigs become a bright purplish 

 red, smooth and shining. Stems lose much of their brilliant 

 color when the leaves appear, to regain it again in autunm. 



Leaves. — Opposite, simple, four to six inches long, ovate, ovate- 

 lanceolate or oblong, rounded or wedge-shaped at base, entire, 

 acute or acuminate at apex. They come out of the bud slightly 

 involute, reddish, covered with white hairs above and below ; 

 when full grown are bright green, somewhat downy above, paler 

 green or white and somewhat downy below. In autumn they 

 turn a bronze purple or dark red touched with orange, or yellow. 

 Petiole dull red, slender, grooved, one-half to one inch long. 



Flowers. — June, July. Perfect, cream-white, borne in flat 

 cymes, one to two inches across ; pedicels downy. 



252 



