Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Cornales
Family: Cornaceae
Genus: Cornus
Subgenus: Benthamidia
Species: C. florida
Subspecies: Cornus florida subsp. urbiniana
Binominal name: Cornus florida subsp. urbiniana
Common name: Mexican flowering dogwood, Bishop's Cap Dogwood, Magic Dogwood, Urbiniana Dogwood,
Cornus florida subsp. urbiniana is a rare tree originally from north eastern Mexico (Nuevo León, Veracruz) where it grows in the forest understory. This dogwood is a subspecies of the common flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). It is a naturally-occurring tree, not a cultivated hybrid.
This variety is noted for its white, narrow, creased, petal-like bracts which are fused together at the ends to create an unusual, cage-like shape around the flowers. This look like small white "Chinese lanterns" on the branch tips.
This tree can grow to 6m tall and >5 m wide.
Photographed at Tupare Gardens, New Plymouth.
