Paragraph 1: Naming
For the Flowering Dogwood, the Latin name is “Cornus florida”. “Cornus” derives from the word “cornu”, which today translates into a “horn”. Cornus refers to the hard wood the tree has. While “florida” stems from the Latin word “flos”, which is understood as “flower” or “flowery”. The common name for Cornus florida is Flowering Dogwood. “Flowering” comes from showy spring flowers the tree displays, while “dogwood” was most likely named after it was believed that early colonial people used the wood from the tree to make skewers, which were commonly referred to as “dogs”.
Like all living organisms, the Flowering Dogwood has a detailed taxonomy. Because the Flowering Dogwood is a tree, and thus a plant, it belongs to the kingdom Plantae. The phylum it belongs to is Embryophyta. It belongs to the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The order it belongs to is Cornales. The family it belongs to is Cornaceae (dogwoods). The genus it belongs to is Cornus (dogwoods). And finally, the species it belongs to is Cornus florida. Paragraph 2: Description (general description) The Flowering Dogwood can be interchangeably described as a small tree or a shrub. It is deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves annually, and multi-branched. A fully grown and mature tree normally has the rounded crown shade, which just resembles a circle. When the branches expand horizontally, they occasionally exceed the length of their actual height. The tree can grow up to a relatively large height. The Flowering Dogwood has a distinct bark that resembles the skin of an alligator. Each flower the Flowering Dogwood produces during the months between May and June has 4 bracts, which are essentially small supporting leaves, that are beneath and enclose the 4 petals. The leaves, simple with an opposite pattern, have an arcuate vein design and can turn multiple colors during autumn foliage. The fruits produced are red drupes that ripen during late fall. The average height of the tree ranges from 5 to 15 meters tall. However, normally, it does not surpass 12 meters. When the branches fully expand out, the width of the tree can be equal to or greater than its actual height. The trunk has a diameter of 1 to 1.5 feet, depending on its location and climate. The leaves are arranged with a opposite/subopposite pattern. This is due to the fact that most leaves are opposite, which means there is an equal amount of leaves equally distanced from each other on each side of the stem. However, occasionally, some are subopposite, where there is a slight unbalance of distance between the leaves. Each leaf of the Flowering Dogwood is considered simple because it functions as a single individual unit, rather than it connecting or branching into even smaller leaflets. The margin of the leaf is entire because it is smooth and …show more content…
These fruits are seen as red, shiny, and oval shaped berries, often found found in clusters. Each cluster contains 3 to 4 individual, elongated fruits grouped together.While the fruits are poisonous for humans to consume, it was thought a long time by colonials that it wasn’t suitable for dogs either, but that has yet been adequately established. However, many birds do take the opportunity to eat the fruits occasionally. These scarlett red fruits with seeds inside, rather the drupes as they are more commonly referred to as, are normally no longer than half an inch long. During the months of September and October, the fruits begin to …show more content…
The tree is native to eastern United States, it can be found in “floodplains, slopes, bluffs, ravines, gum swamps, along fencerows, and in old-field communities”. While the tree can grow on many different types of habitats, the optimal conditions include fertile, moist, and well drained areas. Having soil that is cool, acidic (pH ranging from 6 to 7), and moist with organic matter is ideal. The Flowering Dogwood does not bode well in areas with extremities such as severe heat, pollution, road salt, or drought. They would not survive in drought areas as their shallow root system would not have enough water to take in. Like all other plants, this tree should have a full amount of sunlight available. However, it is shown to have been able to tolerate partial shade relatively
For the Flowering Dogwood, the Latin name is “Cornus florida”. “Cornus” derives from the word “cornu”, which today translates into a “horn”. Cornus refers to the hard wood the tree has. While “florida” stems from the Latin word “flos”, which is understood as “flower” or “flowery”. The common name for Cornus florida is Flowering Dogwood. “Flowering” comes from showy spring flowers the tree displays, while “dogwood” was most likely named after it was believed that early colonial people used the wood from the tree to make skewers, which were commonly referred to as “dogs”.
Like all living organisms, the Flowering Dogwood has a detailed taxonomy. Because the Flowering Dogwood is a tree, and thus a plant, it belongs to the kingdom Plantae. The phylum it belongs to is Embryophyta. It belongs to the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The order it belongs to is Cornales. The family it belongs to is Cornaceae (dogwoods). The genus it belongs to is Cornus (dogwoods). And finally, the species it belongs to is Cornus florida. Paragraph 2: Description (general description) The Flowering Dogwood can be interchangeably described as a small tree or a shrub. It is deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves annually, and multi-branched. A fully grown and mature tree normally has the rounded crown shade, which just resembles a circle. When the branches expand horizontally, they occasionally exceed the length of their actual height. The tree can grow up to a relatively large height. The Flowering Dogwood has a distinct bark that resembles the skin of an alligator. Each flower the Flowering Dogwood produces during the months between May and June has 4 bracts, which are essentially small supporting leaves, that are beneath and enclose the 4 petals. The leaves, simple with an opposite pattern, have an arcuate vein design and can turn multiple colors during autumn foliage. The fruits produced are red drupes that ripen during late fall. The average height of the tree ranges from 5 to 15 meters tall. However, normally, it does not surpass 12 meters. When the branches fully expand out, the width of the tree can be equal to or greater than its actual height. The trunk has a diameter of 1 to 1.5 feet, depending on its location and climate. The leaves are arranged with a opposite/subopposite pattern. This is due to the fact that most leaves are opposite, which means there is an equal amount of leaves equally distanced from each other on each side of the stem. However, occasionally, some are subopposite, where there is a slight unbalance of distance between the leaves. Each leaf of the Flowering Dogwood is considered simple because it functions as a single individual unit, rather than it connecting or branching into even smaller leaflets. The margin of the leaf is entire because it is smooth and …show more content…
These fruits are seen as red, shiny, and oval shaped berries, often found found in clusters. Each cluster contains 3 to 4 individual, elongated fruits grouped together.While the fruits are poisonous for humans to consume, it was thought a long time by colonials that it wasn’t suitable for dogs either, but that has yet been adequately established. However, many birds do take the opportunity to eat the fruits occasionally. These scarlett red fruits with seeds inside, rather the drupes as they are more commonly referred to as, are normally no longer than half an inch long. During the months of September and October, the fruits begin to …show more content…
The tree is native to eastern United States, it can be found in “floodplains, slopes, bluffs, ravines, gum swamps, along fencerows, and in old-field communities”. While the tree can grow on many different types of habitats, the optimal conditions include fertile, moist, and well drained areas. Having soil that is cool, acidic (pH ranging from 6 to 7), and moist with organic matter is ideal. The Flowering Dogwood does not bode well in areas with extremities such as severe heat, pollution, road salt, or drought. They would not survive in drought areas as their shallow root system would not have enough water to take in. Like all other plants, this tree should have a full amount of sunlight available. However, it is shown to have been able to tolerate partial shade relatively