ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



THE FI,0WE1!1NG DOGWOOD. 



(Con,,,. /«,■/,/„. L.) 



There iiic iiuiiix kinds of DD^iWood (Corniis). 

 the iiiosi of wiiiili are shrulis varying in lieiglit 

 lidiii fi\r to till or tifteen feet, and distributed 

 over iieiirly nil purts of onr eountry. But the 

 most iittrartivr iiiid sliowy of nil the Dogwoods 

 is that speeies l.otauically railed Corniis Jloridn, 

 L. It is a small tree, growing from tifteen to 

 tweiity-tive or thirty tret high, having a pretty 

 wide range of latitude fnmi 47° N. to Florida, 

 being raiv. however, in the northern latitudes. 

 Its natural situation is in roeky woods, and on 

 tlie Ix.rders of streams. 



It is a very conspicuous object when in flower, 

 from the ]uofusion of large white blossoms, or 

 rather what appear to be blos.soins, for the appa- 

 rent blossoms are not really such. The true 

 llowers are very small, and clustered together iu 

 a small head. Each of these minute flowers has 

 all the parts jiroper to a perfect flower, calyx, 

 corolla, stamens aud pistil. Immediately beueath 



the cluster is developed four large wliitc leaves, 

 lookiu';- like jietals. but really forming what is 

 called an involucre. These involucral li'aves are 

 inversely heart-shaped, and about an incli and a 

 half long. At a distance they look like the pro- 

 per petals of a single flower, while the small 

 head of true flowers which they surround looks 

 like the central organs of a flower. A close ex- 

 amination will readily detect the true nature of 

 these parts. 



The wood of the Dogwood is very close-grained, 

 hard, capable of an excellent polish, and useful 

 for the manufacture of many articles re(|uiring 

 durability and flrnmess of texture, 'i'lic bark of 

 the tree is bitter, and lias-long been known and 

 cmiiloyed as a substitute for. or adjuvant of. 

 Peruvian bark aud quinine in the treatment of 

 ague and malarious diseases. 



The tree is well deserving of cultivation from 



the showy appearance of the snow-white flowers. 



or floral appendages (Fig. 1-ti!). which contrast 



I finely with the lively green of the foliage, and 



I froui the bright red berries which succeed the 



I flowers. 



