CORNUS SUECICA. DWARF CORNEL.
CORNUS suecica ; herbacea, ramis binatis, umbella axillari pedunculata involucrata, foliorum nervis
' omnibus subdistinctis.
CORNUS suecica. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 171. Lightf. Scot. p. 119. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. ml. 2.
p. 198. FI. Dan. t. 5. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. m l . 1 ■ P . I . J . n . W illi. Sp. PI. ml. 1.
». 660. Smith'FI. Brit. p. 188. Engl. Bot. t. 310. Fers. Syn. P L ml. 1. p. 143.
Wahl. FI. Lapp. p. SO. Alton Hort. Kcto. ed. 2. ml. 1. p. 260. Svensk Bot. t. 261.
Hook. FI. Scot. P . I. p. 55.
CORNUS herbacea. Huds. Angl. p. 71.
CHAMÆPERICLYMENUM. Dwarf Honeysuckle. Raii Syn. p. 261.
Dan. Hönsebar. Fr. L e Cornouiller herbacé, ou de Suede. Germ. Die Nordische oder Schwedische
Kornelle. Lapl. Pcednac moje. Norw. Skrub. Swed. (Jemtl.) Smörbär. (Smaland) Hönson.
(Angerm.) Hönsb'dr. (Bahus.) Skrubbor. (Dal.) Holteblommor.
Class a n d O r d e r . T ETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
■' [N a tu r a l O r d e r . CAPRIFOLIACEÆ. Juss., Decand., Hook.]
Ge n . Ch a r . Calyx quadridentatus. Petala supera, quatuor. Stamina quatuor, petalis alternantias. Drupa
Nuce 2-locuIari.
Ge n . Ch a r . Calyx four-toothed. Petals superior, four. Stamens four, alternating with the petals. Drupe
with a two-celled N u t.
Ra d ix perennis, longe repens, filiformis, gracilis, flex-
uosa, hic illic fibrosà.
Caules plurimi ex eadem radice, erecti, glabri, tetra-
goni, graciles, spithamæi, demum extremitate in-
novationibus duabus dichotomi.
Folia perpaucaj distantia, opposita, late ovata, sub lente
pilosa, pilis minutis appressis, integerrima, ob-
tuSa, quinquenervia, nervis subtus prominen-
tihus.
U mb e lla ex apice caulis intra ramps, pedunculata.
Pedunculus sesquiunciam longus, erectus.
I nvolucrum tetraphyllum, foliolis patentibus, duobus
oppositis minoribus, omnibus ovato-rotundatis
vix concavis, pallide albo-virescentibus, nervis
subquinque parallelis, demum subrubicundis.
U mb e lla pauciflora ; floribus octo ad decem.
F lores parvi, brevius pedicellati, pedicellis pilis appressis
hispidis atro-purpureis.
Ca l y x superus, quinquédentaitùs.
Corolla tetrapetala, petalis patentibus demum re-
curvis, quorum duo vel tria apice uncinato acuminata.
St am in a quatuor, æqualia. Filamenta subulata, alba.
Antheræ ovato-sagittatæ, Jflavoe.
PisTiLLUM atro-purpureum. Germen inferum. Stylus
longitudine staminibus asqualis, rectus. Stigma
obtusum.
P e r ic a r p ium : Drupa rubra, subdidyma, calycis den-
tibus styloque coronata. Nux elliptico-subro- |
tunda, bilocularis, loculis monospermis.
Sem in a ad apicem loculorum affixa, pendentia, pallide-
fusca. Albumen carnosum. Embryo immersus,
cylindraceus. Radicula ad hilum seminis versa.
Root perennial, creeping for a great length, filiform,
slender, flexuose, at intervals fibrous.
Stems many from one root, erect, glabrous, four-sided,
slender, a span high, at length dichotomous at
the extremity with two innovations.
Leaves very few, distantly placed, opposite, broadly
ovate, hairy when seen under a microscope, hairs
minute, appressed, entire, obtuse, five-nerved,
the nerves prominent beneath.
U m b e l springing from the summit o f the stem between
the branches, pedunculated. Peduncle an inch
and half long, erect.
I n volucr e o f four leaves, leaflets spreading, two o f
them opposite and smaller, all between. ovate
and-roundish, slightly concave, o f a pale whitish
green, with about five parallel nerves, becoming
afterwards reddish.
U m b e l containing few flowers; from eight to ten.
Flowers small, upon short footstalks, the footstalks
rough with appressed blackish-red hairs.
Ca l y x superior, five-toothed.
Corolla o f four spreading, finally recurved petals;
two or three o f which are terminated with an
uncinated point.
Stam e n s four, equal. Filaments awl-shaped, white.
Anthers ovato-sagittate, yellow.
P is t il blackish-red. Germen inferior. Style equal in
length to the stamens, straight. Stigma obtuse.
P e r ic a r p : Drupe red, approaching to didymous,
crowned with the style and the teeth of the
calyx. Nut elliptical, nearly round, two-celled,
the cells one-seeded.
Se ed s affixed to the summit of the cells, pendent, pale-
brown. Albumen fleshy. Embryo immersed,
cylindrical. Radicle turned towards the hilum
of the seed.
Fig. 1. Flowering specimen, and Fig. 2. Plant in fruit, of Cornus suecica ; natural size. Fig. 3. Flower. Fig. 4.
Flower, deprived of the petals and stamens. Fig. 5. Drupe. Fig. 6. Drupe, laid open to show the nut.
Fig. 7. Vertical section of the nut, to show the two cells and the pendent seeds. Fig. 8. Vertical section of a
seed. Fig. 9. Embryo :—all but Figs. 1 and 2 more or less magnified.
Altogether an inhabitant of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and remarkable for the corolla-like involucre
which surrounds the minute flowers. This indeed it has in common with the C. canadensis, a species in other
respects similar to it, but differing in having four or six large obovate yet acute leaves placed in a whorl at the
top of the stem, and the lateral nerves not so decidedly parallel, but uniting with the midrib at a greater distance
from the base : the rest of the stem too is altogether leafless, or has at most one pair of leaves, and there are no
innovations from the top of the stem.
C. suecica inhabits the north of England, and more abundantly the mountainous parts o f Scotland. Where we
have found it in the greatest abundance has been amongst the superb scenery of the Cairngorum range of mountains
and those of Braemar. I t is far less conspicuous in flower, which is in June and July, than when it bears
its fine scarlet berries in the months of September and October.