Bunchberry Dogwood

Herblike shrubs, perennial, rhizomatous, 10–20 cm tall. Rhizomes creeping, slender. Vertical stems slender, unbranched. Leaves opposite, often appearing as a whorl of 6 at terminal node due to compression of internodes, 2 larger and 4 smaller; smaller ones developing from axillary buds of larger leaves; leaves at lower nodes rudimentary; petiole 2–3 mm; leaf blade obovate to ± diamond-shaped, 3.5–4.8 × 1.5–2.5 cm, papery, veins 2 or 3, base cuneate, margin entire, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescences compound cymes, terminal; bracts white, broadly ovate, 0.8–1.2 × 0.5–1.1 cm, with 7 parallel veins. Flowers white, ca. 2 mm in diam. Calyx tube obovate, ca. 1 mm, densely pubescent with grayish white appressed trichomes; teeth higher than disk. Petals reflexed, creamy white, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm. Stamens ca. 1 mm; anthers yellowish white, narrowly ovoid. Style ca. 1 mm, glabrous. Fruit red at maturity, globose, ca. 5 mm in diam.; stones ellipsoid-ovoid. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Aug–Sep.

S Jilin (Changbai Shan) [Japan, Korea, N Myanmar, Russia (Far East); North America].

Montane coniferous forests, margins of woods, old tree stumps, mossy areas, open and moist habitats; ca. 1200 m.

Chamaepericlymenum canadense (Linnaeus) Ascherson & Graebner Cornella canadensis (Linnaeus) Rydberg.