Cornus hemsleyi Schneid. & Wanger.

Cornus hemsleyi belongs to the group of very similar Chinese dogwoods with white cymose inflorescences – often hard to distinguish in the field, these species are discussed more fully in the entry for C. schindleri. C. hemsleyi is distributed throughout central and western China, extending northwards into Hebei and Shandong, but absent from the eastern and southeastern provinces (Xiang & Boufford 2005). It was described by Schneider and Wangerin from collections by E. H. Wilson from western Hubei in 1901 (Schneider 1909).

In favourable circumstances, C. hemsleyi is capable of forming a small tree, though in cultivation it is likely to be encountered as a medium to large shrub. The bright red young stems (best seen on stooled specimens), and the species’ occurrence by stream banks betray its close kinship with the red osiers of Europe and North America (C. alba and C. sericea). The dark brown pubescence on the midrib and veins is a useful identifying character when present, but is not found in all forms of the species.

Cornus hemsleyi occurs with reasonably frequency in botanical collections, thanks to a series of introductions over recent decades. Sichuanese material is particularly well represented, introduced by expeditions led by RBG Kew in 1988 and 1992 (SICH 920 and 276), RBG Edinburgh in 1992 (SCN 1133), Howick and McNamara (HNA 2284), and Rushforth in 1982 (RUSH 224). The 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition collected it in Hubei (SABE 369).