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CornusWikipedia

Cornus
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Cornusisagenusofabout3060species[Note1]ofwoodyplantsinthe
familyCornaceae,commonlyknownasdogwoods,whichcangenerallybe
distinguishedbytheirblossoms,berries,anddistinctivebark.[2]Mostare
deciduoustreesorshrubs,butafewspeciesarenearlyherbaceousperennial
subshrubs,andafewofthewoodyspeciesareevergreen.Severalspecies
havesmallheadsofinconspicuousflowerssurroundedbyaninvolucreof
large,typicallywhitepetallikebracts,whileothershavemoreopen
clustersofpetalbearingflowers.Thevariousspeciesofdogwoodare
nativethroughoutmuchoftemperateandborealEurasiaandNorth
America,withChinaandJapanandthesoutheasternUnitedStates
particularlyrichinnativespecies.
SpeciesincludethecommondogwoodCornussanguineaofEurasia,the
widelycultivatedfloweringdogwood(Cornusflorida)ofeasternNorth
America,thePacificdogwoodCornusnuttalliiofwesternNorthAmerica,
theKousadogwoodCornuskousaofeasternAsia,andtwolowgrowing
borealspecies,theCanadianandEurasiandwarfcornels(orbunchberries),
CornuscanadensisandCornussuecicarespectively.
Dependingonbotanicalinterpretation,thedogwoodsarevariouslydivided
intoonetoninegeneraorsubgeneraabroadlyinclusivegenusCornusis
acceptedhere.

Contents
1 Commonname"dogwood"
2 Characteristics
3 Uses
3.1 Horticulture
3.2 Fruits
3.3 Wood
3.4 Medicinal
4 Classification
4.1 BlueorWhitefruitedDogwoods
4.2 CornelianCherries
4.3 BigbractedDogwoods
4.4 DwarfDogwoods
4.5 Incertaesedis(unplaced)
4.6 Horticulturalhybrids
5 Culturalreferences
6 Notes
7 References
8 Externallinks

Cornus

Cornuskousavar.chinensis

Scientificclassification
Kingdom:

Plantae

Clade:

Angiosperms

Clade:

Eudicots

Clade:

Asterids

Order:

Cornales

Family:

Cornaceae

Genus:

Cornus
L.

Typespecies
Cornusmas
L.

Subgenera
Afrocrania
Arctocrania
Cornus
Cynoxylon
Discocrania
Kraniopsis
Mesomora
Sinocornus
Syncarpea
Yinquania

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Commonname"dogwood"
Thename"dogtree"enteredtheEnglishvocabularybefore1548,
becoming"dogwood"by1614.Oncethenamedogwoodwasaffixedtothis
kindoftree,itsoonacquiredasecondarynameastheHound'sTree,while
thefruitscametobeknownasdogberriesorhoundberries(thelattera
namealsofortheberriesofblacknightshade,alludingtoHecate'shounds).
Anothertheoryadvancestheviewthat"dogwood"wasderivedfromthe
OldEnglishdagwood,fromtheuseoftheslenderstemsofitsveryhard
woodformaking"dags"(daggers,skewers,andarrows).[3][4]Another,
earliernameofthedogwoodinEnglishisthewhippletree.Geoffrey
Chauceruses"whippletree"inTheCanterburyTales("TheKnight'sTale",
verse2065)torefertothedogwood.Awhippletreeisanelementofthe
tractionofahorsedrawncart,linkingthedrawpoleofthecarttothe
harnessesofthehorsesinfiletheseitemsstillbearthenameofthetree
fromwhichtheyarecommonlycarved.

InspeciessuchasthisCornus
unalaschkensis,thetinyfourpetaled
flowersareclusteredinatightly
packed,flattenedcymeatthecenter
offourshowywhitepetallikebracts.

Characteristics
Dogwoodshavesimple,untoothedleaveswiththeveinscurving
distinctivelyastheyapproachtheleafmargins.Mostdogwoodspecieshave
oppositeleaves,whileafew,suchasCornusalternifoliaandC.
controversa,havetheirleavesalternate.Dogwoodflowershavefourparts.
Inmanyspecies,theflowersareborneseparatelyinopen(butoftendense)
clusters,whileinvariousotherspecies(suchasthefloweringdogwood),
theflowersthemselvesaretightlyclustered,lackingshowypetals,but
surroundedbyfourtosixlarge,typicallywhitepetallikebracts.
Thefruitsofalldogwoodspeciesaredrupeswithoneortwoseeds,often
brightlycolorful.ThedrupesofspeciesinthesubgeneraCornusareedible.
Manyarewithoutmuchflavor.CornuskousaandCornusmasaresold
commerciallyasediblefruittrees.ThefruitsofCornuskousahaveasweet,
tropicalpuddinglikeflavorinadditiontohardpits.ThefruitsofCornus
masarebothtartandsweetwhencompletelyripe.Theyhavebeeneatenin
EasternEuropeforcenturies,bothasfoodandmedicinetofightcoldsand
flus.TheyareveryhighinvitaminC.However,thoseofspeciesin
subgenusSwidaaremildlytoxictopeople,thoughreadilyeatenbybirds.

Cornusmas

Cornusfloridainspring

Dogwoodsareusedasfoodplantsbythelarvaeofsomespeciesof
butterfliesandmoths,includingtheEmperormoth,theEngrailed,thesmall
angleshades,andthefollowingcasebearersofthegenusColeophora:C.
ahenella,C.salicivorella(recordedonCornuscanadensis),C.
albiantennaella,C.cornellaandC.cornivorella,withthelatterthreeall
feedingexclusivelyonCornus.

Uses
Dogwoodsarewidelyplantedhorticulturally,andthedensewoodofthe
largerstemmedspeciesisvaluedforcertainspecializedpurposes.Cutting
boardsandotherfineturningscanbemadefromthisfinegrainedand
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beautifulwood.Over32differentvarietiesofgamebirds,includingquail,
feedontheredseeds.[5]

Horticulture
VariousspeciesofCornus,particularlythefloweringdogwood(Cornus
florida),areubiquitousinAmericangardensandlandscapinghorticulturist
DonaldWymanstated,"Thereisadogwoodforalmosteverypartofthe
U.S.exceptthehottestanddriestareas".[6]Incontrast,inEnglandthelack
ofsharpwintersandhotsummersmakesCornusfloridaveryshyof
flowering.[7]

Matureandimmatureflowersof
Cornuscanadensis,Bonnechere
ProvincialPark,Ontario

OtherCornusspeciesarestoloniferousshrubsthatgrownaturallyinwet
habitatsandalongwaterways.Severaloftheseareusedalonghighways
andinnaturalizinglandscapeplantings,especiallythosespecieswithbright
redorbrightyellowstems,particularlyconspicuousinwinter,suchas
Cornusstolonifera.

Fruits
ThespeciesCornusmasiscommonlycultivatedinsoutheasternEuropefor
itsedibleberries,whichcanbeturnedintojam,fermentedintoawine,or
eatenrawafterslightbletting.

Cornuscanadensisfruit

Wood
Denseandfinegrained,dogwoodtimberhasadensityof0.79andishighly
prizedformakingloomshuttles,toolhandles,rollerskatesandothersmall
itemsthatrequireaveryhardandstrongwood.[8]Thoughitistoughfor
woodworking,someartisansfavordogwoodforsmallprojectssuchas
walkingcanes,arrowmaking,mountaindulcimersandfineinlays.
Dogwoodwoodisanexcellentsubstituteforpersimmonwoodintheheads
ofcertaingolfclubs("woods").Dogwoodlumberisrareinthatitisnot
readilyavailablewithanymanufacturerandmustbecutdownbythe
person(s)wantingtouseit.

Springbudding

Largeritemshavealsobeenoccasionallymadeofdogwood,suchasthescrewinbasketstylewineorfruitpresses.
Thefirstkindsoflaminatedtennisracketswerealsomadefromthiswood,cutintothinstrips.
Dogwoodtwigswereusedbypioneerstobrushtheirteeth.Theywouldpeeloffthebark,bitethetwigandthen
scrubtheirteeth.[9]

Medicinal
ThebarkofCornusspeciesisrichintanninandhasbeenusedasasubstituteforquinine.[10]DuringtheAmerican
civilwarconfederatesoldierswouldmakeateafromthebarktotreatpainandfevers,anddogwoodleavesina
poulticetocoverwounds.[11]

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TheJapaneseCornel,C.officinalis,isusedextensivelyintraditionalChinesemedicineas"shnzhy,"()
whereitisusedforweakness,dizziness,painofthelowerbackandknees,andtoastringeexcessivesweating,
uterinebleeding,andbladderincontinence.[12]

Classification
Thefollowingclassificationrecognizesasingle,inclusivegenusCornus,[13][14]withfoursubgroupsandten
subgenerasupportedbymolecularphylogeny.[15][16]Geographicalrangesasnativeplantsaregivenbelow.In
addition,cultivatedspeciesoccasionallypersistorspreadfromplantingsbeyondtheirnativeranges,butarerarely
ifeverlocallyinvasive.[Note2]

BlueorWhitefruitedDogwoods
Paniculateorcorymbosecymesbractsminute,nonmodifiedfruitsgloboseorsubglobose,white,blue,orblack:
SubgenusYinquania.Leavesoppositetosuboppositefallblooming.
Cornusoblonga.
Cornusperuviana.CostaRicaandVenezuelatoBolivia.[17][18]
SubgenusKraniopsis.Leavesoppositesummerblooming.
Cornusalba[Note3](Siberiandogwood).SiberiaandnorthernChina.
Cornusamomum[Note4](silkydogwood).EasternU.S.eastoftheGreatPlainsexceptfortheDeep
South.
Cornusasperifolia(toughleafdogwood).SoutheasternU.S.
Cornusaustrosinensis(SouthChinadogwood).EastAsia.
Cornusbretschneideri(Bretschneider'sdogwood).NorthernChina.
Cornuscoreana(Koreandogwood).NortheastAsia.
Cornusdrummondii(roughleafdogwood).U.S.betweentheAppalachiaandtheGreatPlains,and
southernOntario,Canada.
Cornusexcelsa.
Cornusfoemina(stiffdogwood)SoutheasternandsouthernUnitedStates.
Cornusglabrata(browndogwoodorsmoothdogwood).WesternNorthAmerica.
Cornushemsleyi(Hemsley'sdogwood).SouthwestChina.
Cornuskoehneana(Koehne'sdogwood).SouthwestChina.
Cornusmacrophylla(largeleafeddogwoodChinese:pinyin:jilingorjiling).EastAsia.
Cornusobliqua[Note5](paledogwood).NortheasternandcentralU.S.,andsoutheasternCanada.
Cornuspaucinervis.China.
Cornusracemosa(northernswampdogwoodorgraydogwood).NortheasternandcentralU.S.,and
extremesoutheasternCanada.
Cornusrugosa(roundleafdogwood).NortheasternandnorthcentralU.S.,andsoutheasternCanada.
Cornussanguinea(commondogwood).Europe.
Cornussericea[Note6](redosierdogwood).NorthernandwesternNorthAmerica,exceptArctic
regions.
Cornuswalteri(Walter'sdogwood).CentralChina.
Cornuswilsoniana(Wilson'sdogwood).CentralChina.
SubgenusMesomora.Leavesalternatesummerblooming.
Cornusalternifolia(pagodadogwoodoralternateleafdogwood).EasternU.S.andsoutheastern
Canada.
Cornuscontroversa(tabledogwood).EastAsia.

CornelianCherries
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Umbellatecymesbractsmodified,nonpetaloidfruitsoblong,redstonewallsfilledwithcavities:
SubgenusAfrocrania.Dioecious,bracts4.
Cornusvolkensii.
SubgenusCornus.Plantshermaphroditic,bracts4or6
Cornuseydeana.
Cornusmas(EuropeancornelorCorneliancherry).Mediterranean.
Cornusofficinalis(Japanesecornel).China,Japan,Korea.
Cornuspiggae(LatePaleocene,NorthDakota)[19]
Cornussessilis(blackfruitcornel).California.
SubgenusSinocornus.Plantshermaphroditic,bracts4or6
Cornuschinensis(Chinesecornel).China.

BigbractedDogwoods
Capitularcymes:
SubgenusDiscocrania.Bracts4,modified,nonpetaloidfruitsoblong,red.
Cornusdisciflora.
SubgenusCynoxylon.Bracts4or6,largeandpetaloid,fruitsoblong,red.
Cornusflorida(floweringdogwood).U.S.eastoftheGreatPlains,northtosouthernOntario.
Cornusnuttallii(Pacificdogwood).WesternNorthAmerica,fromBritishColumbiatoCalifornia.
SubgenusSyncarpea.Bracts4,largeandpetaloid,fruitsred,fusedintoacompoundmultistonedberry.
Cornuscapitata(Himalayanfloweringdogwood).Himalaya.
Cornuselliptica
Cornushongkongensis(HongKongdogwood).SouthernChina,Laos,Vietnam.
Cornuskousa(Kousadogwood).Japanand(assubsp.chinensis)centralandnorthernChina.
Cornusmultinervosa.

DwarfDogwoods
Minutecorymbosecymesbracts4,petaloidfruitglobose,redrhizomatousherb:
SubgenusArctocrania.
Cornuscanadensis(Canadiandwarfcornelorbunchberry)NorthernNorthAmerica,southwardinthe
AppalachianandRockyMountains.
Cornussuecica(Eurasiandwarfcornelorbunchberry).NorthernEurasia,locallyinextremenortheast
andnorthwestNorthAmerica.
Cornusunalaschkensis(Hybrid:C.canadensisC.suecica).AleutianIslands(Alaska),Greenland,
andLabradorandNewfoundlandinCanada.

Incertaesedis(unplaced)
Cornusclarnensis(MiddleEocene,CentralOregon)[20]

Horticulturalhybrids
Cornusrutgersensis(Hybrid:C.floridaC.kousa).Horticulturallydeveloped.[21]

Culturalreferences
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Theinflorescence("flower")ofthePacificdogwood(Cornusnuttallii)istheofficialfloweroftheprovinceof
BritishColumbia.Thefloweringdogwood(Cornusflorida)anditsinflorescencearethestatetreeandthestate
flowerrespectivelyfortheU.S.CommonwealthofVirginia.ItisalsothestatetreeofMissouriandthestateflower
ofNorthCarolina,andtheStateMemorialTreeofNewJersey.
ThepoetVirgilmakesreferencetoahauntedcopseofcornelandmyrtleinBookIIIoftheAeneid.Thehero
Aeneasattemptstobreakoffboughstodecorateanaltar,butinsteadthewooddripswithblackblood.[22]Anne
MorrowLindberghgivesavividdescriptionofthedogwoodtreeinherpoem"Dogwood".[23]
AChristianlegendofunknownoriginproclaimsthatthecrossusedtocrucifyJesuswasconstructedof
dogwood.[24]Asthestorygoes,duringthetimeofJesus,thedogwoodwaslargerandstrongerthanitistodayand
wasthelargesttreeintheareaofJerusalem.AfterHisCrucifixion,Jesuschangedtheplanttoitscurrentform:He
shorteneditandtwisteditsbranchestoassureanendtoitsusefortheconstructionofcrosses.[25]Healso
transformeditsinflorescenceintoarepresentationoftheCrucifixionitself,withthefourwhitebractscrossshaped
representingthefourcornersoftheCross,eachbearingarustyindentationasofanail,theredstamensofthe
flowerrepresentingJesus'CrownofThorns,andtheclusteredredfruitrepresentingHisBlood.[26][27]
IntheVictorianEra,flowersorsprigsofdogwoodwerepresentedtounmarriedwomenbymalesuitorstosignify
affection.Thereturningoftheflowerconveyedindifferenceonthepartofthewomanifshekeptit,itbecamea
signofmutualinterest.
Theterm"dogwoodwinter",incolloquialuseintheAmericanSoutheast,issometimesusedtodescribeacold
snapinspring,presumablybecausefarmersbelieveditwasnotsafetoplanttheircropsuntilafterthedogwoods
blossomed.[28]

Notes
1.58speciesaccordingtoXiangetal.(2006)[1]
2.ForfurtherdetailondistributionsofnativeNorthAmericandogwoods,seeCornusinBONAP'sNorthAmericanPlant
Atlas(http://www.bonap.org/BONAPmaps2010/Cornus.html).
3.Cornussericea,treatedseparatelyhere,issometimesincludedinamorebroadlytakenconceptofCornusalba,whichin
thatsenseisalsonativeinNorthAmerica.
4.Cornusobliqua,hererecognizedseparately,hasbeenincludedinabroaderconceptofC.amomumbysomebotanists.
CanadianreportsforC.amomumareapparentlyallbasedonplantshereclassifiedasC.obliqua.
5.CornusobliquaissometimesincludedinamorebroadlytakenconceptofC.amomum,alsointheeasternU.S.
6.Cornussericea(includingC.stolonifera)issometimesitselfincludedinamorebroadlytakenconceptoftheotherwise
EurasianCornusalba.

References
1.QiuYun(Jenny)Xiang,DavidT.Thomas,WenhengZhang,StevenR.ManchesterandZackMurrell(2006)."Species
levelphylogenyofthegenusCornus(Cornaceae)basedonmolecularandmorphologicalevidenceimplicationsfor
taxonomyandTertiaryintercontinentalmigration".Taxon.55(1):930.doi:10.2307/25065525.JSTOR25065525.
2."NotableCharacteristicsofDogwoodTrees".answers.com.RetrievedAugust24,2014.
3.Vedel,H.,&Lange,J.(1960).TreesandBushesinWoodandHedgerow.Metheun&Co.Ltd.,London.
4.Fernald,MerrittLyndon(1950).Gray'sManualofBotany(8thed.).NewYork:AmericanBookCompany.
5."WildlifeDogwoodTrees".PrepperGardens.RetrievedJanuary8,2013.
6.Wyman'sGardenEncyclopedia,s.v."Cornus"
7.AliceM.Coats,GardenShrubsandtheirHistories(1964)1992,s.v."Cornus".
8."Dogwood."McGrawHillConciseEncyclopediaofScienceandTechnology.NewYork:McGrawHill,2006.Credo
Reference.Web.17September2012.
9.Gunn,JohnC.(1835).Gunn'sDomesticMedicine(4thed.).p.523.
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10."dogwoodorcornel."TheColumbiaEncyclopedia.NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,2008.CredoReference.Web.
17September2012.
11."MedicinalDogwoodTrees".PrepperGardens.RetrievedJanuary8,2013.
12.Schafer,Peg(2011).TheChineseMedicinalHerbFarm:ACultivator'sGuidetoSmallscaleOrganicHerbProduction.
ChelseaGreenPublishing.pp.312(page150).ISBN9781603583305.
13.RichardH.Eyde(1987)."ThecaseforkeepingCornusinthebroadLinnaeansense".SystematicBotany.12(4):505
518.doi:10.2307/2418886.JSTOR2418886.
14.RichardH.Eyde(1988)."ComprehendingCornus:puzzlesandprogressinthesystematicsofthedogwoods".Botanical
Review.54(3):233351.doi:10.1007/bf02868985.JSTOR4354115.
15.Fan,ChuanzhuXiang,QiuYun(2001)."PhylogeneticrelationshipswithinCornus(Cornaceae)basedon26SrDNA
sequences.".AmericanJournalofBotany.88(6).
16.Zhiang,QiuYunThomas,DavidT.Zhang,WenhengManchester,StevenR.Murrell,Zack(2006)."Specieslevel
phylogenyofthegenusCornus(Cornaceae)basedonmolecularandmorphologicalevidenceimplicationsfortaxonomy
andTertiaryintercontinentalmigration."(PDF).Taxon.55(1).Retrieved29January2016.
17."Tropicos|NameCornusperuvianaJ.F.Macbr.".www.tropicos.org.Retrieved20160129.
18.Macbride,J.F.(1959)."Cornaceae".FloraofPeru.13pt.5no.1.FieldMuseum.pp.4445.
19.Manchester,S.R.Xiang,XP.Xiang,QY(2010)."FruitsofCornelianCherries(Cornaceae:CornusSubg.Cornus)in
thePaleoceneandEoceneoftheNorthernHemisphere"(PDF).InternationalJournalofPlantSciences.171(8):882891.
doi:10.1086/655771.
20.Manchester,S.R.(1994)."FruitsandSeedsoftheMiddleEoceneNutBedsFlora,ClarnoFormation,Oregon".
PalaeontographicaAmericana.58:3031.
21."CornusfloridaCornuskousa".LandscapePlants:Images,identification,andinformation.OregonStateUniversity.
Retrieved20May2011.
22.AeneidIII2223:Fortefuitiuxtatumulus,quocorneasummovirgultaetdensishastilibushorridamyrtus.
23.Morrow,Anne(1956).Dogwood.3336thAvenue,NewYork14,N.Y.:PantheonBooks.pp.3839.
24.TheOldLegendoftheDogwood(http://www.footprint.co.za/aileen_old_legend_of_the_dogwood.htm)
25.JeffreyG.Meyer(2004).TheTreeBook:APracticalGuidetoSelectingandMaintainingtheBestTreesforYourYard
andGarden.SimonandSchuster.pp.258.ISBN9780743249744.
26.ThomasE.Barden(1991).VirginiaFolkLegends.UniversityofVirginiaPress.pp.61.ISBN9780813913353.
27.RonaldL.Baker(1August1984).HoosierFolkLegends.IndianaUniversityPress.pp.7.ISBN0253203341.
28.http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2011/04/25/whatisdogwoodwinter/

Externallinks
Dogwoodhistoryanduses(http://www.naturessecretlarder.co.uk/wil
WikimediaCommonshas
dfoodusefulplants/dogwoodcornussanguinea.htm)
mediarelatedtoCornus.
Asiandogwoods(http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/china/mss/volume14/C
ORNACEAE.pdf)
TheMedicinalBenefitsforGrowingYourOwnRemedy:DogwoodTree(http://www.preppergarden.biz/Do
gwoodTreesforPreppersp/wlddogwood.htm)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cornus&oldid=744772121"
Categories: Cornaceae Cornus Plantsusedinbonsai
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