Cornaceae

Plant Sex: Flowers bisexual or unisexual then plants monoecious or dioecious.

Flowers: Actinomorphic, with inferior ovary with one apical or axile ovule per locule.

Inflorescence: Cymes, corymbs or umbels; subtended by showy bracts in Cornus.

Fruits: Drupes from inferior ovary. Seed enclosed in a stone.

Habit: Trees or shrubs, rarely perennial herbs with a woody rhizome (Cornus canadensis).

Leaves: Opposite or alternate, simple, without stipules.

Examples:

Cornus

C. florida (flowering dogwood). Flowering branches. Pink bracted variety. Inflorescences. Inflorescence close-up. Inflorescence L.S. Flowers. Fruits.
C. mas (Cornelian cherry). Flowering shrub SIUC campus. Inflorescence. Flowers.
C. canadensis (bunchberry). Plants in fruit.
C. kousa (Kousa dogwood). Flowering branches. Inflorescences.
C. stolonifera (redosier). Flowering shoots.
C. racemosa (grey dogwood). A weedy species, found on the SIUC campus. Flowering shoot. Close-up of flowers.

Nyssa

N. sylvatica (black gum). Shoot with staminate flowers. Shoot with carpellate flowers. Staminate and carpellate flowers.
N. aquatica (tupelo). Leafy shoot with carpellate flowers.

SIUC / College of Science / Elements of Plant Systematics
URL: http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/PLB304/Lecture20Corn/Cornaceae.html
Last updated: 22-Mar-08 / dln