Cornus excelsa Kunth

Cornus lanceolata Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: 55. 1903
Shrubs; branchlets sparsely hirtellose or glabrous, dark red or brown, becoming grey, the pith white; leaf-blades commonly 5.5-11 cm. long, 3-5.5 cm. broad, broadly ovate, long-acuminate, cuneate to rounded or subcordate at the base, almost glabrous above, paler beneath and pubescent with scattered curling hairs, not papillose; veins prominent, usually 3 or 4 on either side of the midrib, 3 arising from its basal half; petioles 1-2 cm. long; inflorescence an ample cyme, usually 5 cm. across, the peduncle and branches hirtellose or strigillose; pedicels generally 1-3 mm. long; hypanthium strigillose; sepals 0.5 mm. long; petals 4-5 mm. long; style 3-4 mm. long, usually cylindrical but sometimes dilated beneath the stigma; drupes blue, the endocarp smooth.
Type locality: Near Jalapa, Vera Cruz.
Distribution: Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi, Vera Cruz, and Chiapas.

Cornus excelsa H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 430. 1820
Cornus tolucensis H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 430. 1820. Cornus pubescens Willd.; R. & S. Syst. Veg. Mant. 3: 252. 1827. ? Cornus excelsa a schiedeana C. Meyer, Corttits-Arten 27. 1845. ? Cornus excelsa 13 Harlwegiana C. Meyer, CornHS-Arten 27. 1845. Cornus mexicana Carr. Rev. Hortic. 47: 430. 1875. Cornus declinata Sesse & Moc. Fl. Mex. 29. 1893.
Large shrubs and small trees to 5 m. high (according to Hinton) ; branchlets sparsely strigillose or hirtellose, dark red or brown, becoming grey, the pith white; leaf-blades commonly 5-12 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, long-acuminate, cuneate, rounded, or subcordate at the base, sparsely and minutely strigillose above, paler beneath and pubescent with short curling trichomes (these often brown or reddish on the veins), or appressed-pubescent with forked trichomes, or almost glabrous; veins 2 or 3 on either side of the midrib, arising from its basal half, prominent; petioles 5-15 mm. long, sparsely hirtellose; inflorescence usually 1.5-3 cm. across, compact, convex, almost capituliform, or sometimes more ample and umbelliform, the peduncle and branches hirtellose or strigillose; flowers crowded on short pedicels mostly 1-3 mm. long; hypanthium 1.5-2 mm. high, strigillose; sepals less than 0.5 mm. long; petals 3 mm. long, pubescent dorsally; style 2.5-3 mm. long, often dilated beneath the stigma; anthers blue or the connective; drupes at first whitish, becoming blue, about 8 mm. in diameter, the endocarp about 4 mm. in diameter, smooth.
Type locality: Between Chalco and Mexico, Distrito Federal. Distribution: San Luis Potosi and Sinaloa to Guatemala and Honduras.