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State Trees
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The term floral emblem, which refers to flowers specifically,
is primarily used in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the term state flower
is more often used. |
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Missouri Symbols
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Missouri State Tree 
(Arboreal Emblem)
Flowering Dogwood
(Cornaceae Cornus florida)
Adopted on June 20, 1955.
On June 20, 1955, the flowering dogwood, Cornaceae Cornus florida, became Missouri's official
state tree (Arboreal Emblem). The tree is small in size, rarely growing over 40 feet in height or 18 inches in diameter. The dogwood sprouts tiny greenish-yellow flowers in clusters, with each flower surrounded by four white petals. The paried, oval leaves are olive green above and covered with silvery hairs underneath. In the fall, the upper part of the leaves turns scarlet or orange and bright red fruits grow on the tree. White flowers bloom in spring. Dark green foliage changes to red in fall. Red berries remain on tree late in fall.
Description of Missouri State Tree (Arboreal Emblem)
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is one of America's most popular ornamental trees. Known to most people simply as dogwood, it has other common names, including boxwood and cornel. The species name florida is Latin for flowering, but the showy petal-like bracts are not in fact flowers. The bright red fruit of this fast-growing short-lived tree are poisonous to humans but provide a great variety of wildlife with food. The wood is smooth, hard and close-textured and now used for specialty products.
Identification
- Leaf: Opposite, simple, arcuately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, oval in shape with an entire margin.
- Flower: Very small, but surrounded by 4 large white (occasionally pink) bracts, 2 inches in diameter. Appearing March to April in the south, June in the north.
- Fruit: A shiny, oval red drupe, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, in clusters of 3 to 4. Maturing in September to October.
- Twig: Slender, green or purple, later turning gray, often with a glaucous bloom. The terminal flower buds are clove-shaped, vegetative buds resemble a cat claw.
- Bark: Gray when young, turning very scaly to blocky.
- Form: A small tree with a short trunk that branches low, producing a flat-topped crown. Branches are opposite, and assume a "candelabra" appearance.
Code
Missouri Code
Title II — SOVEREIGNTY, JURISDICTION AND EMBLEMS
Missouri Chapter 10 — State Emblems
State arboreal emblem.
10.040. The flowering dogwood scientifically designated as Cornus Florida L. is declared to be the arboreal emblem of Missouri and the state department of agriculture shall recognize it as the official state tree and encourage its cultivation on account of the beauty of its flower and foliage.
(L. 1955 p. 769 § 1, A.L. 1957 p. 726)
Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Flowering Dogwood
| Kingdom |
Plantae -- Plants |
| Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants |
| Superdivision |
Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
| Division |
Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class |
Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Subclass |
Rosidae – |
| Order |
Cornales – |
| Family |
Cornaceae – Dogwood family |
| Genus |
Cornus L. – dogwood |
| Species |
Cornus florida L. – flowering dogwood |
Source:
Dendrology at Virginia Tech
US Department of Agriculture
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State Trees
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All of the state
trees, except the Hawaii state tree, are native to the state in which they are designated.
tree \ˈtrē\
noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English trēow; akin to Old Norse trē tree, Greek
drys, Sanskrit dāru wood
Date: before 12th century
1 a: a woody perennial plant having a single usually elongate main stem generally
with few or no branches on its lower part
b: a shrub or herb of arborescent form <rose trees> <a
banana tree> |
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