DOGWOOD FAMILY 



Calyx. — Slightly urn-shaped, four-lobed, light green, coherent with 

 the ovary. 



Corolla. — Petals four, ^ alvate in bud, inserted on an cpigynous 

 disk, rounded or acute at apex, slightly thickened at the margins, 

 green, tipped with yellow. Disk orange colored. 



S/ame/is. — Four, inserted on the disk, exserted, alternate -with the 

 petals. Filaments thread-like ; anthers oblong, introrse, versatile, 

 two-celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 



Oc'arv. — Inferior, two-celled ; style columnar ; stigma truncate ; 

 ovule one in each cell. 



Ft nil. — Ovoid drupe, borne in clusters of three or four, crowned 

 with the calyx lobes and remnant of the style, bright scarlet, half an 

 inch long, smooth, shining, bitter, aromatic. October. Cotyledons 

 foliaceous. 



No other tree of otir flora enables the observer so easily 

 to study the life history of its flowers and fruit as does the 

 Dogwood. A shrub oftener than a tree, its branches are 

 within easy reach and it conducts its operations so openly 

 that they invite attention. AVhen in early spring, the great 

 white blossoms appearing before the leaves transform the 

 tree into one huge bouquet, it is the glory of the fields and 

 challenges the attention and admiration of every observer. 

 In summer, its low branching habit and dense foliage give it 

 a peculiar and attractive appearance ; the clusters of shining 

 red berries together with the dark red leaves mark it in the 

 autumnal woods, and in the winter, the curious, gray, box-like, 

 flower-buds which tip its branches are unicpie and striking. 



In order to understand the development of those great wdiite 

 spring blossoms, it is necessary to study the tree in midsum- 

 mer of the preceding year. By July a little group of three 

 tiny buds has begun to form at the end of the many branch- 

 lets of a healthy, vigorous tree. If the terminal bud is to 

 produce flowers it soon outstrips its companions and pro- 

 trudes bevond them. This growth continues through the 

 late summer and on into autumn. By the time that the clus- 

 tered drupes are ripe and the leaves begin to turn scarlet, 

 these terminal flower-buds of the ne.xt vcar are about the 

 size of small peas, mclosed by four involucral scales, pointed 

 above, rounded below, light brownish gray in color, more or 



170 



