Cornus mas L.

Species: Cornus mas L., Genus: Cornus, Family: Cornaceae, Group: Angiosperms

(Cornus mas L.)

-> Genus: Cornus -> Family: Cornaceae -> Group: Angiosperms

Habitus

it is a shrub 2 - 6 m high, rarely up to 9 m high tree
crown is wide, irregular
bark is light brown, later dark brown
bork is grey-brown to blackish, longitudinally reticulately cracked, edges diverge from the trunk
on older individuals it is light yellowish-grey and forms fine rectangular plates

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - bork

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - Hrádok Arboretum

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - bark

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - Zádielska tiesňava (8/2020)

Buds

buds are opposite
it has two types of buds:
- leaf buds – are narrowly conical, pointed, sessile, the bract scales are two green or reddish, greyish tomentose, the lateral buds are turned away at an angle of 45°
- flower buds – spherical, 5 - 7 mm large, shortly pointed at the top, stalked, the bract scales are multiple, grow on brachyblasts

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - flower buds

Shoots

shoots are straight, initially slightly angular, olive green, or brown to reddish on the sunlit side, acuminately hairy

Leaves (assimilation organs)

the leaves are simple, entire (marginal integrity), relatively variable, ovate-lanceolate to elliptical, 4 - 11 x 3 - 5 cm large
the leaves are pointed at the end, the 3rd order venation is indistinct - hardly noticeable !
the petiole is whitish-hairy, 0.5 - 1 cm long

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - top side

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - underside

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - twig with leaves, top side

Flowers

it is a monosexual tree with bisexual flowers
it flowers relatively early – in March before the leaves develop
flowers are golden yellow, they grow in dense umbels on a 5 - 8 mm long stalk

Fruits – seeds

the fruit is an ellipsoid or barrel-shaped drupe (stone fruit), red in color
the stone fruit is 15 - 25 x 10 - 13 mm in size
the pulp is fleshy, sour
it contains one 1 - 1.5 cm large ellipsoid, yellow-brown stone, longitudinally slightly grooved on the surface
it ripens in X - XI

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - stones

Extension

originally in central and southern Europe to Asia Minor (Caucasus)
in Slovakia from lowlands to 500 m a.s.l. (max. approx. to 800 m a.s.l.)
it grows mainly in forest-steppes, in dry and light-filled forests, especially in warm oak forests on rocky slopes, mainly on limestones

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - warm oak forest with the occurrence of dogwood under the castle cliff of Muráň Castle

Ecology

it is a light-loving to semi-shaded woody plant, drought-tolerant, demanding on soil nutrients, sensitive to frost

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - in the forest-steppe community environment on Devínská Kobyla

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - Corneto‑Quercetum, Chotenovec, Tribeč (foto: Ina 4/2021)

Significance

as an ornamental tree, valuable for its early flowering, red fruits and red-colored leaves in autumn
soil-protecting - especially on rocky slopes on limestone ground
fruit-bearing, the fruits contain a lot of vitamin "C"
also suitable for hedges - tolerates pruning

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - strewn with fruits (dogwoods)

From history

Cornus mas (European cornel, Dogwood) - Unsere Waldbäume, Sträucher und Zwergholzgewächse. Heidelberg, Carl Winter`s Universitätsbuchhandlung

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