408 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
CHAPTER V. 
PLANTS WITH THE PETALS AND STAMENS GROWING FROM THE CALY3, 
EXCEPT IN CORNUS. 
FAMILY XXTI. THE CORNUS FAMILY. CORNA‘CEZ. 
Dr CanpdoLLs. 
Tms family contains trees or shrubs and perennial herbs, 
with opposite, rarely alternate, entire leaves, pinnately veined 
and without stipules, and with flowers in umbels or cymes. 
The calyx coheres with the two- or rarely three-celled ovary, 
and has a small, four-toothed border. ‘The corolla is of four 
deciduous petals, growing from the top of the calyx-tube and 
alternate with its teeth. The stamens are four, alternate with 
the petals. Fruit a two-, rarely three-celled drupe, with solitary 
seeds, anc srowned with the remains of the calyx. The plants 
of this family are found in the temperate and cooler regions of 
both continents, particularly in North America and Nepaul. 
None of tie family are hurtful. They are generally bitter and 
astringent; and the bark and leaves of several, particularly of 
Cornus fidrida and C. sericea, have been used with efficacy in 
fevers. The berries of some species, as, for example, of C. 
Canadénsis, are edible, but not very pleasant. The wood of 
the cornels 1s hard and close-grained, and is used in Europe for 
cogs, in mill-wheels, and for other small articles formed by the 
turner; and in this country as a substitute for box-wood. 
XXII THE CORNEL. CO'RNUS. Tournefort. 
Shrubs or small trees, with entire, deciduous Jeaves, minutely 
rough with appressed, bicuspidate hairs, and white or rarely 
yellow flowers. The trunk is sometimes subterraneous, throw- 
ing up annual, herbaceous branches. There are about twenty 
species, of which eleven are, according to Torrey and Gray, 
found in America, north of Mexico, two are found in Mexico, 
three in Nepaul, one in Japan, two are common to Europe and 
