Cornus is agenus of about 30–60species[Note 1] ofwoody plants in thefamilyCornaceae, commonly known asdogwoods orcornels, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark.[3] Most aredeciduoustrees orshrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceousperennial subshrubs, and some species areevergreen. Several species have small heads of inconspicuous flowers surrounded by aninvolucre of large, typically white petal-likebracts, while others have more open clusters ofpetal-bearing flowers. The various species of dogwood arenative throughout much oftemperate andboreal Eurasia and North America, with China, Japan, and the southeastern United States being particularly rich in native species. The genus is also known from South America with members such as Cornus peruviana.
Species include the common dogwoodCornus sanguinea of Eurasia, the widely cultivated flowering dogwood(Cornus florida) of eastern North America, the Pacific dogwoodCornus nuttallii of western North America, the Kousa dogwoodCornus kousa of eastern Asia, and two low-growing boreal species, the Canadian and Eurasian dwarf cornels (or bunchberries),Cornus canadensis andCornus suecica respectively.
Depending on botanical interpretation, the dogwoods are variously divided into one to ninegenera orsubgenera; a broadly inclusive genusCornus is accepted here.
Cornus is the Latin word for the cornel tree,Cornus mas.The namecornel dates to the 1550s, via German from Middle Latincornolium, ultimately from the diminutivecornuculum, ofcornum, the Latin word for the cornel cherry.Cornus means "horn",[4]presumably applied to the cherry after the example ofκερασός, the Greek word for "cherry", which itself is of pre-Greek origin but reminiscent ofκέρας, the Greek word for "horn".
The name "dog-tree" entered the English vocabulary before 1548, becoming "dogwood" by 1614. Once the name dogwood was affixed to this kind of tree, it soon acquired a secondary name as the hound's tree, while the fruits came to be known as "dogberries" or "houndberries" (the latter a name also for the berries ofblack nightshade, alluding toHecate's hounds).[citation needed]
The name was explained, from as early as the 16th century itself, as derived fromdag "skewer",[5][6] as the wood of the tree was said to have been used to make butcher's skewers. This is uncertain, as the form*dagwood was never attested. It is also possible that the tree was named for its berry, calleddogberry from at least the 1550s, where the implication could be that the quality of the berry is inferior, as it were "fit for a dog".[7]
Cherokee princess dogwood
An older name of the dogwood in English iswhipple-tree, occurring in a list of trees (aswhipultre) inGeoffrey ChaucerCanterbury Tales.[8]This name is cognate with theMiddle Low Germanwipel-bom "cornel", Dutchwepe, weype "cornel" (thewh- in Chaucer is unetymological, the word would have been Middle Englishwipel). The tree was so named for waving its branches, cf. Middle Dutchwepelen "totter, waver", Frisianwepeln, Germanwippen.[9]
The namewhippletree, alsowhiffle-tree, now refers to an element of the traction of a horse-drawn cart linking the draw pole of the cart to the harnesses of the horses in file. In this sense it is first recorded in 1733. This mechanism was usually made from oak or ash (and not from dogwood), and it is unlikely that there is a connection to the name forwhipple-tree for Cornus.[10]
Dogwoods have simple, untoothedleaves with theveins curving distinctively as they approach the leaf margins. Most dogwood species have opposite leaves, while a few, such asCornus alternifolia andC. controversa, have their leaves alternate. Dogwoodflowers have four parts. In many species, the flowers are borne separately in open (but often dense) clusters, while in various other species (such as theflowering dogwood), the flowers themselves are tightly clustered, lacking showypetals, but surrounded by four to six large, typically white petal-likebracts.[citation needed]
Thefruits of all dogwood species aredrupes with one or two seeds, often brightly colorful. The drupes of species in the subgenusCornus are edible. Many are without much flavor.Cornus kousa andCornus mas are sold commercially as edible fruit trees. The fruits ofCornus kousa have a sweet, tropical pudding like flavor in addition to hard pits. The fruits ofCornus mas are both tart and sweet when completely ripe. They have been eaten in Eastern Europe for centuries, both as food and medicine to fight colds and flus. They are very high invitamin C. By contrast, the fruits of species in subgenusSwida are mildly toxic topeople, though readily eaten bybirds.[citation needed]
Dogwoods are widely planted horticulturally, and the dense wood of the larger-stemmed species is valued for certain specialized purposes. Cutting boards and fine turnings can be made from this fine grained and beautiful wood. Over 32 different varieties of game birds, including quail, feed on the red seeds.[11]
Various species ofCornus, particularly theflowering dogwood(Cornus florida), are ubiquitous in Americangardens andlandscaping;horticulturistDonald Wyman stated, "There is a dogwood for almost every part of the U.S. except the hottest and driest areas".[12] In contrast, inNorthwest Europe the lack of sharp winters and hot summers makesCornus florida very shy of flowering.[13]
OtherCornus species arestoloniferous shrubs that grow naturally in wet habitats and along waterways. Several of these are used along highways and in naturalizing landscape plantings, especially those species with bright red or bright yellow stems, particularly conspicuous in winter, such asCornus stolonifera.
The speciesCornus mas is commonly cultivated in southeastern Europe for its showy, edible berries, that have the color of the carnelian gemstone. Cornelian-cherries have one seed each and are used in syrups and preserves.[19]
Dense and fine-grained, dogwood timber has a density of 0.79 and is highly prized for making loom shuttles, tool handles, roller skates and other small items that require a very hard and strong wood.[20] Though it is tough for woodworking, some artisans favor dogwood for small projects such aswalking canes, arrow making,mountain dulcimers and fineinlays. Dogwood wood is an excellent substitute forpersimmon wood in the heads of certaingolf clubs ("woods"). Dogwood lumber is rare in that it is not readily available with any manufacturer and must be cut down by the person(s) wanting to use it.[citation needed]
Larger items have also been occasionally made of dogwood, such as the screw-in basket-style wine or fruit presses. The first kinds oflaminatedtennis rackets were also made from this wood, cut into thin strips.[citation needed]
Dogwoodtwigs were used by U.S. pioneers to brush their teeth. They would peel off the bark, bite the twig and then scrub their teeth.[21]
The following classification recognizes a single, inclusive genusCornus,[24][25] with four subgroups and ten subgenera supported by molecular phylogeny.[26][27][28] Geographical ranges asnative plants are given below.
^Cornus sericea, treated separately here, is sometimes included in a more broadly taken concept ofCornus alba, which in that sense is also native in North America.
^Cornus obliqua, here recognized separately, has been included in a broader concept ofC. amomum by some botanists. Canadian reports forC. amomum are apparently all based on plants here classified asC. obliqua.
^Cornus obliqua is sometimes included in a more broadly taken concept ofC. amomum, also in the eastern U.S.
^Cornus sericea (includingC. stolonifera) is sometimes itself included in a more broadly taken concept of the otherwise EurasianCornus alba.
^Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang, David T. Thomas, Wenheng Zhang, et al. (2006). "Species level phylogeny of the genusCornus (Cornaceae) based on molecular and morphological evidence – implications for taxonomy and Tertiary intercontinental migration".Taxon.55 (1):9–30.Bibcode:2006Taxon..55....9X.doi:10.2307/25065525.JSTOR25065525.
^"the first element sometimes said to have been perhaps dag — compare dagger and dag (v.) "to pierce or stab" (1630s, perhaps 15c.). The trees have hard, white wood that was said to have been used in making butchers' skewers; another name for it was skewer-wood. This explanation is as old as the word itself in English, but the form *dagwood is not attested. Another guess is that the tree was given the name in reference to its fruit, which was called dogberry from 1550s, and dog (n.) had implications of "cheap, inferior" (i.e. "fit for a dog").""dogwood".Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper.
