Cornus capitata
Branch of Bentham dogwood (Cornus capitata ) with numerous inflorescences
Bentham dogwood (Cornus capitata ) is a plant of the genus dogwood (Cornus ). It is a small, evergreen tree whose distribution area is the eastern Himalayas, hence the name occasionally used Himalayan dogwood.
The botanical name is derived from the Latin caput - head, many flowers are on an inflorescence, a little head, united. Bentham Dogwood is sometimes performed along with some related species as a species Dendrobenthamia, translated as " Bentham's tree." This refers to how well the German name, the botanist George Bentham.
Description
Bentham dogwood is a small evergreen tree. The largest specimens reach a stature height up to fifteen meters, it can also stay much stocky shrubs. The crown is spread, older specimens are often wider than high. Young twigs are gray, fading with time dark brown to gray- brown, forming on thick stems a slightly cracked or exfoliating bark.
The opposite, oval leaves are dull gray - green and occupied on the bottom with solid hairs, so that they feel rough. The leaf veins, usually only three or four pairs are bent toward the blade tip as with many dogwoods. In autumn falls a small part of the leaves, but most remain until spring stick. If the new leaves unfold, to rub off last year's yellow and fall, this behavior is called " evergreen ".
The inflorescence consists of fifty to a hundred tiny individual flowers that are grouped in a spherical umbel. Note the bracts surrounding the inflorescence: they are created in the autumn and are visible on the flower buds, then unfold from light green to creamy white and fade pink tinge. The flowering time is in the early summer, in Yunnan from about May to July.
All the fruits of an inflorescence develop into a fruit association with many cores and leathery shell. This is colored round and red, about three centimeters in diameter. It recalls in size and color slightly on strawberries and is edible.
Dissemination
From Nepal to India and Myanmar to China settled the way the eastern Himalayas at altitudes 800-3200 m. It grows on the edge of coniferous and deciduous forests in a summer humid climate with no severe frosts.
Use
Bentham Dogwood is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental shrub. Good varieties offer with reddish colored bud break in the spring, the long -lasting, from creamy white to pink -staining bracts in summer, showy red fruit in the fall and partly yellow or reddish coloring, some green leaves in the winter every season an eye-catcher. However, he bears no more frosts still dry heat, so that its spread as an ornamental plant is not very large.
Some breeders seeking to freeze harder varieties or use the way of crossings: Cornus ' Porlock ' and Cornus ' Norman Hadden ' are two hybrids kousa with the deciduous Cornus, here is a portion of the leaves colored red in autumn and falls off, leaving a part of liable to spring.