CORNACEiE— DOGWOOD FAMILY 



FLOWERING DOGWOOD 



C6nnis JI6rida. 

 CoruHS from cornit a horn, refers to the hardness of the wood. 



A bushy tree, from fifteen to thirty feet high, with short trunk and 

 spreading branches, making a flat-topped head. Roots fibrous. It 

 prefers dry land and will grow under the shade of taller trees. Bark, 

 leaves, and fruit, rich in tannic acid. Ranges from eastern Massa- 

 chusetts to central Florida west through southern Michigan to Mis- 

 souri and Te.xas. 



Bark. — Reddish brown, divided into quadrangular plate-like 

 scales. Bitter and tonic. Branchlets at first pale green, later they 

 are red or yellow green, finally become light brown or reddish gray. 



Winter Buds. — Formed in midsummer, terminal bud accompanied 

 by tuo pairs of lateral buds making a cluster. On fertile shoots the 

 terminal bud is replaced by the head of flower buds, which by mid- 

 summer protrudes from between the two upper lateral buds. 



Wood. — Brown ; heavy, hard, strong, tough and close-grained ; 

 will take a beautiful polish. Used for hubs of small wheels, handles 

 of tools, mallets ; largely used in turnery. Sp. gr., 0.8153 ; weight 

 of cu. ft., 50.81 lbs. 



Leaves. — Opposite, somewhat clustered at the ends of the branches, 

 ovate or elliptical, three to five inches long, two to three wide, wedge- 

 shaped at base, wavy or entire, acute. Feather-veined, midrib promi- 

 nent, five to six pairs of primary veins. They come out of the bud 

 involute, at first pale green, downy ; when full grown are bright dark 

 green above, pale and downy beneath. In autumn they turn a brill- 

 iant scarlet. Petioles short, grooved. 



Flowers. — April, iVIay. Perfect, greenish, in a close cluster, sur- 

 rounded by a large, showy, four-leaved, corolla-like, white or rarely 

 pinkish involucre, borne on a stout peduncle an inch or an inch and 

 a half long, showy. 



X69 



