About Cornus rugosa Lam.
Cornus rugosa Lam., also referred to as Swida rugosa or roundleaf dogwood, is a shrub or small tree that grows 1–4 m (3–13 ft) tall. Its twigs are yellowish-green, and may bear red or purple blotches, with white pith. Leaves are arranged oppositely; they are round orbicular in shape with an acuminate tip and an entire margin, ranging from woolly to hairless on the lower surface. Leaves have 6–8 pairs of lateral veins and grow 7–15 cm long. The leaf scars of this species are broadly U-shaped, with 3 bundle scars. White flowers grow in flat-topped cymes that emerge in early summer; each cyme is 3–6 cm (1+1⁄4–2+1⁄4 in) wide, holds 20–50 pedunculate flowers, each of which has 4 calyx lobes and 4 petals. The fruit is a blue to greenish-white drupe that matures in October. Roundleaf dogwood prefers soil with well-drained to average moisture content, and is shade tolerant, like most dogwoods. Ecologically, roundleaf dogwood acts as a host species for spring azure butterflies and gossamer wings. Ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse eat its fruits, while white-tailed deer, Eastern cottontails, and mice consume its twigs.
