DOGWOOD FAMILY 



less covered with pale hairs and borne on stout club-shaped 

 peduncles a quarter of an inch or less in length. These buds 

 stand up from the tips of tlie branchiets and are very con- 

 spicuous. After the leaves fall, and the red berries have 

 been taken by the birds these gray buds remain unchanged, 

 stiff and unyielding throughout the winter. 



One of tlie first indications of returning activity to plant 

 life is the gaping of these involucral scales at the apex of the 

 flower-bud. This happens about the time that the elm-buds 

 are beginning to swell and open, but the elm-flowers have 

 come and gone and the samaras are well grown before our 

 dogwood blossom is worthv nf the name. But da}' after day 

 the change goes on. The involucral scales i)cgin to enlarge, 

 unfold, grow white and at length about six weeks after the 

 first opening of the apex they become a flat corolla-like cup, 

 three or four inches across. Each scale is now a great white 

 petal-like leaf, so like a petal that many consider it such ; its 

 rounded apex blotched and darkened by the discolored rem- 

 nants of tlie portion formed during the summer before. In 

 color these are usually while, sometimes, however, they are 

 pink and rarely bright red. 



Within these four, white, petaloid scales is a close cluster 

 of tin}' flowers which are the real blossoms of the tree. They 

 are yellowish green, made on a plan of four, four 

 lobes to the calyx, four petals to the corolla, and 

 four stamens ; there is, however, but one pistil. 



After our great white involucre has performed 

 its duty, fostered and protected the tiny flowers 

 until thev have reached maturitv, it falls, the 



Single Flower 



of Dogwood, blossoms fade ami the tiny fruit begins to grow. 

 c<,™«i flori- Although there are from ten to thirtv blossoms 



i/.T ,- enl.Trged. ■ , ^ , 



in each cluster rarely more than five drupes are 

 matured in any one. Some remain in a state of arrested 

 development, and cling to the branch small and green all 

 summer long. The bright, shining, scarlet fruit is beautiful 

 to look at and is finally eaten by the buxls, but they exhaust 

 other resources first, for under that shining skin is a very 



172 



