Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Canadian Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis
Dogwood family (Cornaceae)

Most members of the Dogwood Family are trees and shrubs but a few like Bunchberry are . Dogwood Family species have entire, opposite, or leaves with conspicuous veins. Bunchberries are widely distributed across the northern United States and Canada. What appear to be the flower petals are actually white and although the flowerhead (which is surrounded by the ) looks like a single flower, it is actually composed of numerous small flowers. The red that come from these numerous flowers are a favorite of many birds and small mammals.


©2007 Louis-M. Landry

Description

Low , 4-8" tall. Leaves , 4-6 arranged in whorl at top of stem, egg-shaped with arching veins that follow outline of leaf from base to tip. Four white frame tiny flowers with purple tinge or dots in middle of . Dense cluster of bright red develops from flowers by mid-summer.

Field Marks

Tiny, white 4-petal flowers, clusters of red , set in whorl of prominently veined leaves.

© Al Schneider

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

whorled -- The leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 or more leaves along the stems of a plant.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

Bracts are modified leaves associated with a flower.

The botanical term "berry" is different from common usage. Strawberries and raspberries are not berries. But a tomatoe is. A true berry is a fruit with the seeds immersed in the pulp.