Cornus canadensis
 
Bunchberry

Cyme Split Open

Duck Mountain Provincial Park
25-June-2007

The inflorescence is a solitary cyme of small flowers subtended by four white bracts.  The upper false whorl of leaves have been removed for the purpose of this photograph.  In addition, the bracts have been folded backwards and the cyme split open into four parts which have also been folded backwards.

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Canadensis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 
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low herbs; NOT [shrubs or small trees]

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leaves mostly whorled at summit of stem; NOT [leaves opposite]

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flowers in a dense head surrounded by an involucre of 4 large, petal-like, whitish bracts; NOT [flowers in cymes, not surrounded by an involucre]

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fruit red; NOT [fruit whitish]

 

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Cornaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. Not all the answers apply to all members of this family, but they all do apply to this species.
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

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plants NOT with colored milky juice

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plants with more than one normal leaf

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leaves opposite, whorled, or basal; NOT [some or all leaves alternate]

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plants with an involucre of 4 petal-like bracts; NOT [plants without large petal-like bracts]

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flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others

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fruit a red drupe