- Red Osier Dogwood
Taxobox
name = Red Osier Dogwood
image_width = 240px
image_caption = Red Osier Dogwood bearing fruit
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo =Cornales
familia =Cornaceae
genus = "Cornus"
subgenus = "Swida"
species = "C. sericea"
binomial = "Cornus sericea"
binomial_authority = L.The Red Osier Dogwood ("Cornus sericea", syn. "C. stolonifera", "Swida sericea") is a species ofdogwood native throughout northern and westernNorth America fromAlaska east to Newfoundland, south toDurango andNuevo León in the west, andIllinois andVirginia in the east. Other names include Redtwig Dogwood, Red-rood, American Dogwood, and (subsp. "occidentalis") Western Dogwood. In the wild, it commonly grows in areas of damp soil, such aswetlands .It is a medium to tall
deciduous shrub , growing 1.5-4 m tall and 3-5 m wide, spreading readily by undergroundstolon s to form dense thickets. The branches and twigs are dark red, although wild plants may lack this coloration in shaded areas. The leaves are opposite, 5-12 cm long and 2.5-6 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin; they are dark green above and glaucous below; fall color is commonly bright red to purple. Theflower s are small (5-10 mm diameter), dull white in color, in clusters 3-6 cm diameter. Thefruit is a globose whiteberry 5-9 mm diameter.Cornus sericea is a popular ornamental shrub that is often planted for the red coloring of its twigs in the dormant season.
It is a variable species, with two
subspecies commonly accepted:
*"Cornus sericea" subsp. "sericea" - throughout the range of the species. Shoots and leaves hairless or finely pubescent; flower petals 2-3 mm.
*"Cornus sericea" subsp. "occidentalis" (Torr. & A.Gray) Fosberg - western North America. Shoots and leaves densely pubescent; flower petals 3-4.5 mm.Gallery
References
*
External links
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?103145 USDA ARS Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Cornus sericea"]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COSE16 NRCS: USDA Plants Profile: "Cornus sericea"]
* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3275,3276,3280 Jepson Flora of California: "Cornus sericea"] ; [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3275,3276,3280,3282 subsp. "sericea"] , [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3275,3276,3280,3281 subsp. "occidentalis"] .
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/coses.htm "Cornus sericea" ssp. "sericea" images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
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