742 



The Cornels 



Minnesota, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri. Its maximum height is about 9 

 meters, with a trunk diameter of 2 dm. 



The trunk is usually very short ; the branches are somewhat verticiUate, long, 



rather slender, and nearly horizontal, form- 

 ing a broad flat-topped bushy head. The 

 bark is about 3 mm. thick, smooth or shal- 

 lowly fissured and dark red-brown. The 

 twigs are slender, smooth, greenish yellow 

 to brown. The winter buds are sharp- 

 pointed, covered by shining brown scales. 

 The leaves are thin, alternate, very rarely 

 opposite, oval to ovate, 7.5 to 20 cm. long, 

 sharply slender-pointed at the apex, nar- 

 rowed or rounded at the base, slightly 

 toothed or entire on the margin, yellowish 

 green and smooth or but slightly hairy 

 above, whitish and hairy beneath, with a 

 broad yellowish midrib; the leaf-stalk is 

 slender, grooved, 3 to 5 cm. long. The 

 flowers, appearing from May to Julyj are 

 in terminal cymes 4 to 7 cm. across, on 

 pedicels 3 to 6 mm. long; the calyx is nar- 

 rowly cup-shaped, slightly toothed, and hairy; the petals are narrowly oblong, 

 about 3 mm. long. The fruit is subglobose, about i cm. in diameter, bluish black; 

 the flesh is dry and bitter, the stone obo- 

 void, thick-walled, grooved, with i or 2 

 crescent-shaped seeds about 6 mm. long. 

 The wood is hard, close-grained, red- 

 dish brown ; its specific gravity is about 

 0.67. The striking form, beautiful foli- 

 age, profusion of bloom, pretty red- 

 stemmed, blue fruit, and autumnal 

 coloration, make this a most desirable 

 small tree in any situation. 



2. STIFF CORNEL 

 Comus striata Lambert 



Fig. 679. — Blue Cornel. 



Usually a shrub, this is also called 

 Stiff dogwood, and grows in swamps 

 from Virginia to Missouri southward to 

 Florida and Texas, sometimes becom- 

 ing 5 meters high. 



Fig. 680. — Stiff Cornel. 



