DOGWOOD FAMILY 



ere which makes the Dogwood tree the glory of the 

 woods in spring-time, and the Bunch-berry the prize 

 of the seeker. In the case of Cornus florida the flowers 

 usually appear on the bare branches, but sometimes 

 under favoring conditions the great white involucres 

 linger until the leaves are nearly grown ; but they 

 never outstay their welcome, for few sights are pret- 

 tier than a Dogwood tree bearing both leaves and 

 flowers. 



The other tree, Cornus altemifolia, and all the shrubs 

 bear their flowers in flat cymose clusters, one to three 

 inches across. The individual flower is a four-pointed 

 star with four exserted stamens. The 

 only flowering shrubs with which the 

 dogwoods could be confused are the vi- 

 burnums, but their flower is a star with 

 five rounded divisions and five stamens. 

 Dogwood, cor- 1^ it is remembered that the dogwoods 

 nus baiky,, en- are a i wa y S [ n fours and the viburnums 



larged. J 



always in fives, the difficulty is removed. 



The fruits of the family come in assorted colors ; 

 they range through bright scarlet, dark blue, pale steel 

 blue, bluish white and pure white. In flavor they 

 vary simply in degrees of unpleasantness, all being 

 more or less acid, bitter and aromatic, and the bitter is 

 of a particularly persistent and pervading kind. 



Another family characteristic is the brilliant stems 

 of many of the species. The most marked example is 

 the White-fruited Dogwood, Cornus alba of Siberia, 

 which is the species most generally cultivated in this 

 country. The blood-red twigs and stems which glow 

 throughout the winter, and deepen and flame as winter 



242 



