CORNACEiE. 



377 



traced through the exotic C.florida. It 

 has a slender, creeping perennial root- 

 stock, with annual stems, barely 6 inches 

 high, and usually simple. Leaves ses- 

 sile, ovate, entire, seldom above an inch 

 long, with 5 or sometimes 7 longitu- 

 dinal nerves, and sprinkled with a few 

 very minute, closely appressed hairs. 

 Flowers very small, in a little terminal 

 umbel, surrounded by 4 large, broad, 

 petal-like, white bracts, so as to give the 

 whole umbel the appearance of a single 

 flower with 4 petals. The real petals are 

 very minute, of a dark purple. Drupes 

 small and red, resembling berries. 



In mountain pastures, in northern 

 Europe, extending into the Arctic 

 Circle nearly all round the globe. Abundant in Scandinavia, and de- 

 scending southward to northern Germany. Not uncommon in the 

 Scotch Highlands, reappearing in north-eastern England, but not in 

 Ireland. FL summer, rather late. 



Fig. 452. 



2. Common Cornel. Cornus sanguinea, Linn. (Fig. 453.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 249. Dogivood.) 



An erect shrub, of 5 or 6 feet. Leaves 

 opposite, broadly ovate, and stalked ; 

 when young, hoary or silky, with closely 

 appressed hairs ; but when full-grown, 

 green and nearly glabrous. Flowers 

 numerous, forming terminal cymes of 1^ 

 to 2 inches in diameter, without bracts ; 

 the calyx and peduncles covered with 

 mealy down. Petals of a dull white, 

 lanceolate, nearly 3 lines long. Drupes 

 globular, almost black, and very bitter. 



In hedges and thickets, in temperate 

 Europe and Russian Asia, extending 

 northwards into southern Scandinavia. 

 Abundant in southern England, be- 

 coming scarce in the north, and does not 

 appear to be wild anywhere in Scotland, 

 and only in a very few localities in Ire- 

 land. FL early summer. 



TOL. I. 



Fig. 453. 



2 G 



