Genus 3. 



DOGWOOD FAMILY. 



665 



In low woods, Newfoundland to Al\ska, New Jersey, West 

 Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, Colorado and California ; also in 

 eastern Asia. Rarely the upper leaves are opposite. May-July. 

 Cracker-berry. 



2. Chamaepericlymenum suecicum (L.) Asch. & 



Graebn. Northern Dwarf Cornel. Lapland 



Cornel. Fig. 3191. 



Cornns suecica'L. Sp. PI. 118. 1753. 



Cornelia succica Rydb. Bull. Torr. Club 33: 147. 1908. 

 Chamaepericlymenum suecicum Asch. & Graebn. Fl. Nord. Flachl. 

 539. 1898. 



Flowering stems 2-10' high, sometimes branched above. 

 Rootstock horizontal. Leaves .3-6 pairs, all opposite, sessile, 

 ovate, or oval, acute or obtusish at the apex, mostly roimded 

 at the base, entire, minutely appressed-pubescent above, the 

 upper i'-ii' long, the lower smaller, the veins all arising 

 from near the base ; involucral bracts usually 4, ovate, 3"-6" 

 long, obtusish; flowers dark violet, capitate; fruit globose, red, 

 3"-4" in diameter ; stone flattened, slightly channeled on each 

 side, about as broad as long. 



In cold), wet Avoods and wet cliffs, Newfoundland, Labrador and 

 Quebec through Arctic America to Alaska. Also in Greenland, 

 northern Europe and Asia. July-Aug. 



4. NYSSA L. Sp. PI. 1058. 1753. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate petioled entire or dentate leaves. Flowers small, green- 

 ish, polygamo-dioecious, in capitate clusters, short racemes, or the fertile ones sometimes 

 solitary, borne at the summit of slender axillary peduncles, appearing with the leaves. 

 Staminate flowers numerous, the calyx small, S-parted, the petals minute and fleshy, or 

 none; stamens S-15; filaments slender; disk entire or lobed ; pistil none or rudimentary. 

 Pistillate flowers 2-14, or solitary, bracted; calyx-limb 5-toothed, or truncate; petals minute 

 and fleshy, or none; stamens several, or commonly abortive; ovary i-celled, with i pendu- 

 lous ovule; style slender, recurved, stigmatic along one side near the apex. Drupe ovoid or 

 oval; the stone bony, compressed, ridged or terete, i-seeded. [Name of a water nymph.] 



About 7 species, natives of eastern North America, eastern and central Asia. Besides the fol- 

 lowing, another occurs in the Southern States. Type species : Nyssa aquatica L. 



Leaves usually entire ; pistillate flowers 2-14 ; fruit 3"-7" long. 



Leaves mostly acute or acuminate ; stone little flattened. i. N. sylvatica* 



Leaves mostly obtuse ; stone much flattened. 2. N. biflora. 



Leaves usually dentate ; pistillate flower solitary ; fruit 8"-i5" long. 3. N. aquatica. 



I. Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. Pepperidge. Sour Gum. Tupelo. Fig. 3192. 



Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. Arb. Am. 97. 1785. 

 Nyssa multiftora Wang. Holz. 46. pi. 16. 1787. 



A large tree, with rough bark, reaching a 

 maximum height of 110° and trunk diameter 

 of 5° ; branches horizontal, especially when 

 the tree is young. Leaves obovate or oval, 

 acute, acuminate, or obtuse at the apex, usually 

 narrowed at the base, entire, glabrous and 

 shining above, more or less pubescent beneath, 

 2'-4' long ; petioles 4"-7" long ; staminate flow- 

 ers in compound capitate clusters; pistillate 

 flowers larger, 2-14 together ; fruit ovoid, 

 nearly black, ^"-7" long, acid ; stone ovoid, 

 more or less flattened and ridged. 



In rich soil, most abundant in swamps, Maine 

 and Ontario to Florida, Michigan, Missouri and 

 Texas. Leaves crimson in autumn, rarely angu- 

 late-toothed on young trees. Wood soft, tough, 



light yellow ; weight per cubic foot 40 lbs. Black gum. Swamp-hornbeam. Yellow gum-tree. 



Snag-tree. Beetle-bung. Hornbeam. Hornpipe. Hornbine. Hornpine. April-June. 



