Cornus
a genus of plants, the typical one of the order Cornaacex. Calyx, four-toothed; petals, four superior; stamens, four. C. sanguinea has an arborescent stem, five to six feet high, with straight branches, the older ones dark red, and producing white flowers. It is found in woods and thickets, especially on a chalk or limestone soil. The dwarf CORNWALLIS cornel, C. suecica, is a herbaceous plant about six inches high, with few flowers, a creeping plant, growing in alpine pastures. The barks of C. florida, C. sericea, and C. circinata are used in the United States as substitutes for Peruvian bark in intermittent fevers. The Indians extract a scarlet color from the bark of the fibrous roots. C. officinalis is cultivated in Japan, where its fruits are an ingredient in the fever drinks of the country.