THE DOGWOOD FAMILY. 



865 



Africa, well known hj its pretty red wood and black berries. 

 It takes its name of Dogwood from the circumstance of a de- 

 coction of its bark having been formerly used for washing 

 mangy dogs. The wood is hard, and is used for many pur- 

 poses, as making spokes of wheels, skewers, &c. Several 

 species, natives of North America, form ornamental shrubs in 

 this country. 



C. Jlorida is a small tree, conspicuous by its large white 

 involucre. Its bark is used in the United States as a substi- 

 tute for Peruvian bark. 



Cornus siiecica. A pretty small herbaceous plant, attaining 

 the height of 6 inches, native of this country, especially the 

 north of Scotland, and throughout Europe, being abundant 

 in Lapland, where its red berries are used as food, as also in 

 more northern countries by the Esquimaux. 



Cornus canadensis is similar to the preceding, but of larger 

 groAvth, and is found abundantly throughout the whole of 

 North America, from Pennsylvania to Labrador on the east, 

 and Sitka on the north-west. The berries are also used as 

 food, and in some districts are called Pudding Berries. 



Bentliamia fragifera. An interesting shrub, native of 

 Northern India, but not sufficiently hardy for the neighbour- 

 hood of London. In Cornwall, and some parts of the west 

 of England, it forms a handsome bush, producing abundance 

 of strawberry-like fruit. In India the fruit is used as a 

 preserve, but it is not very palatable. 



Aucuha japonica. This well-known interesting shrub is a 

 native of Japan, and was introduced into this country in 1783. 

 Its nature not being known, it was at first kept in the hot- 

 house, but it was soon discovered to be one of our hardiest 

 evergreen shrubs. It is a dioecious plant, and up to the year 

 1862 only the female plant was in this country ; but through 

 the exertions of Mr. Fortune, the male plant has been intro- 

 duced, and now numerous red berries are produced on the 

 female plants, which are highly ornamental. 



