Dogwood

The Dogwoods comprise a group of 30-50 species of deciduous woody plants (shrubs and trees) in the family Cornaceae, divided into one to nine genera or subgenera (depending on botanical interpretation). Four subgenera are enumerated here. more...

• Flower clusters semi-showy, usually white or yellow, in cymes without large showy bracts, fruit red, blue or white:
  • (Sub)genus Cornus. Cornels; four species of shrubs or small trees; flower clusters with a deciduous involucre.
    • Cornus chinensis (Chinese Cornel). China.
    • Cornus mas (European Cornel or Cornelian-cherry). Mediterranean.
    • Cornus officinalis (Japanese Cornel). Japan.
    • Cornus sessilis (Blackfruit Cornel). California.

• • (Sub)genus Swida. Dogwoods; about 20-30 species of shrubs; flower clusters without an involucre.
    • Cornus alba (Swida alba; Siberian Dogwood). Siberia and northern China.
    • Cornus alternifolia (Swida alternifolia; Pagoda Dogwood or Alternate-leaf Dogwood). Eastern North America north to extreme southeast Canada.
    • Cornus amomum (Swida amomum; Silky Dogwood). Eastern U.S. east of the Great Plains except for deep south, and extreme southeast Canada.
    • Cornus asperifolia (Swida asperifolia; Rough-leaf Dogwood).
    • Cornus austrosinensis (Swida austrosinensis; South China Dogwood). East Asia.
    • Cornus bretschneideri (Swida bretschneideri; Bretschneider's Dogwood). Northern China.
    • Cornus controversa (Swida controversa; Table Dogwood). East Asia.
    • Cornus coreana (Swida coreana; Korean Dogwood). Northeast Asia.
    • Cornus drummondii (Swida drummondii; Roughleaf Dogwood). U.S. between the Appalachian belt and the Great Plains, and southern Ontario.
    • Cornus glabrata (Swida glabrata; Brown Dogwood or Smooth Dogwood). Western North America.
    • Cornus hemsleyi (Swida hemsleyi; Hemsley's Dogwood). Southwest China.
    • Cornus koehneana (Swida koehneana; Koehne's Dogwood). Southwest China.
    • Cornus macrophylla (Swida macrophylla; Large-leafed Dogwood). East Asia.
    • Cornus obliqua (Swida obliqua; Pale Dogwood). Eastern North America.
    • Cornus paucinervis (Swida paucinervis). China.
    • Cornus racemosa (Swida racemosa; Northern Swamp Dogwood or Gray Dogwood). Extreme southeast Canada and northeast U.S.

• • • Cornus rugosa (Swida rugosa; Round-leaf Dogwood). Southeast Canada and extreme northeast U.S.
    • Cornus sanguinea (Swida sanguinea; Common Dogwood). Europe.
    • Cornus sericea (C. stolonifera; Swida stolonifera; Red Osier Dogwood). Northern North America.
    • Cornus stricta (Swida stricta; Southern Swamp Dogwood). Southeast U.S.
    • Cornus walteri (Swida walteri; Walter's Dogwood). Central China.
    • Cornus wilsoniana (Swida wilsoniana; Wilson's Dogwood). Central China.

• Flower clusters inconspicuous, usually greenish, surrounded by large, showy petal-like bracts; fruit usually red:
  • (Sub)genus Chamaepericlymenum. Dwarf cornels; two species of creeping subshrubs growing from woody stolons.
    • Cornus canadensis (Chamaepericlymenum canadense; Canadian Dwarf Cornel or Bunchberry) Northern North America.
    • Cornus suecica (Chamaepericlymenum suecicum; Eurasian Dwarf Cornel). Northern Eurasia, locally in extreme northeast and northwest North America.
    • Cornus x unalaschkensis (hybrid C. canadensis x C. suecica). Aleutian Islands, Greenland, Labrador.

• • (Sub)genus Benthamidia (syn. subgenus Dendrobenthamia, subgenus Cynoxylon). Flowering dogwoods; five species of trees.
    • Cornus capitata (Benthamidia capitata; Himalayan Flowering Dogwood). Himalaya.
    • Cornus florida (Benthamidia florida; Flowering Dogwood). U.S. east of the Great Plains, north to southern Ontario.
    • Cornus hongkongensis (Benthamidia hongkongensis; Hongkong Dogwood). Southern China, Laos, Vietnam.
    • Cornus kousa (Benthamidia kousa; Kousa Dogwood). Japan and (as subsp. chinensis) central and northern China.
    • Cornus nuttallii (Benthamidia nuttallii; Pacific Dogwood). Western North America from British Columbia to California.
    • Cornus urbaniana (Benthamidia urbaniana; Mexican Flowering Dogwood). Mexico.

Most species have opposite leaves, but alternate in a few. The fruit of all species is a drupe with one or two seeds. Flowers have four parts.

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