CHAP. LXI. 



torna'ce^e. tc/rnus. 



1011 



Mill., iii. p. 399.) This species is a native of Europe and the north of 

 Africa, in hedges and thickets, especially on a chalk and limestone soil. It 

 is plentiful in Britain, in like situations. It is also said 

 to grow in North America, near the lakes of Canada 

 and near New York ; but has, probably, been introduced 

 there. It grc.vs to the height of from 4ft. to 15ft., 

 according to soil and situation ; flowering in June, and 

 ripening its dark purple fruit in August and September. 

 It is one of the commonest shrubs in old shrubberies ; 

 and is easily known from all the other kinds of Cornus 

 by the abundance of its dark purple fruit, and the (jlp 

 intensely dark red of its leaves before they drop off' 

 in autumn. It is from this last circumstance, we sup- 

 pose, that the specific name of sanguinea has been 

 given to it, though it is much more obviously applicable to C. alba, on ac" 

 count of the redness of its shoots. C. purpurea would be a much better 

 name as contrasted with C. alba, both names applying to the fruit. 



Varieties. 



3fc C. s. 2 Ptirshn Don's Mill-, 3. p. 399. ; C. sangufnea Pursh, Schmidt Baum., 2. t. 66. ; has the 

 flowers with yellow anthers, and the berries a dark brown. It is a native of North 

 America, near the lakes of Canada, and near New York ; and only differs from the C. 

 sanguinea of Europe in having the leaves pubescent, and in being of larger stature. It 

 has not yet been introduced. 

 Sfe C. s. Sfoliis variegutis Lodd. Cat. has the leaves variegated with white and yellow, and oc- 

 casional streaks of red. A plant, lately received into Messrs. Loddiges's collection, 

 named C.candidissima fol. var., appears, from the leaves, to be identical with this variety. 

 C. candidissima, in the same collection, from its leaves, appears to be nothing more than 

 C. sanguinea. 



Properties and Uses. The common British dogwood, being frequent in 

 woods and old hedges, in almost every part of the island, and being also very 

 common on the Continent, and especially in the northern parts of Europe, has 

 long been applied to various useful purposes. The wood, which is hard, 

 though not nearly so much so as that of C'ornus mas, was formerly used for 

 mill-cogs, and for various purposes in rustic carpentry; and it still makes 

 excellent skewers for butchers, toothpicks, and similar articles. In the days 

 when bows and arrows were used as muskets are now, arrows were formed of 

 the young wood. In France, the young wood is formed into ramrods ; and in 

 various parts of the Continent, particularly in Germany and Russia, it is bored 

 and used as tubes to pipes. It makes excellent fuel, and the very best char- 

 coal for gunpowder. The fruit, which, like the bark and leaves, is bitter and 

 styptic, when treated like that of the olive, yields an oil, at the rate of 34 lb. 

 of oil to 100 lb. of fruit ; which is used, in France, in the manufacture of 

 soap, and for lamps. Miller states that, in his time, the berries were often 

 brought to market, and sold for those of the buckthorn. The bark tastes 

 like apples. 



3. C. a'lba L. 



The white-fwiited Dogwood. 



Mill., 3. p. 399. ; Lodd. Cat, edit. 1836. 



Identification. Lin. Mant, p. 40. ; Don 



Synonymes. C. stolonifera Michx. Ft. Bor. Amer.,' 1. p. 109. 



tatarica Mill. Icon., t. 104., Amm. Ruth., t. 32. 

 Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., i. t. 34. ; Mill. Icon., t. 104. ; and our 



fig. 762. 



Spec. Char., cfc. Branches recurved. Branchlets 

 glabrous. Leaves ovate, acute, pubescent, hoary 

 beneath. Corymbs depressed. Branches of a 

 fine red colour. Fruit white, or bluish white. 

 (Don's Mill., iii. p. 399.) It is a native of Siberia, 

 at the rivers Oby and Irtysch, among bushes, 

 &c. ; of North America, from Virginia to Canada, 

 on the banks of rivers and lakes; and also of 

 North California. A shrub, growing from 4 ft. to 

 10 ft. high, and flowering from May to July. It 

 was introduced in 1741, and is common in shrub- 

 beries, where it is interesting in summer from 



3x3 



