Benthamidia florida (Linnaeus) Spach. Section: Cynoxylon. Flowering Dogwood. Phen: Mar-May; Sep-Oct. Hab: In a wide variety of dry to moist forests and woodlands, especially over acidic substrates. Dist: ME west to MI, south to c. peninsular FL and e. TX.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Populations in the Sierra Madre Oriental of ne. Mexico (COA, NLE, ALP, TAM, VER) sometimes treated as conspecific with Benthamidia florida (variously as a subspecies, a variety, or not distinguished taxonomically at all) warrant recognition based on morphology and disjunction as Cornus urbiniana J.N. Rose -- a combination in Benthamidia is available only at variety rank: Benthamidia florida var. urbiniana (J.N. Rose) H. Hara. Du, Cheng, & Xiang's (2023) analysis suggested that the "urbiniana" entity warranted species rank, though they declined to formally recognize it at that rank.

Other Comments: Benthamidia florida has been impacted since the 1980s by widespread infection by the dogwood anthracnose fungus (Discula destructiva).

Synonymy: = NE, Hara (1948); = Cornus florida L. – Ar, C, F, Fl5, FNA12, G, GrPl, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, NcTx, NY, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Ferguson (1966c), Ferguson (1966d), Godfrey (1988); = Cornus florida L. ssp. florida – V, Du, Cheng, & Xiang (2023); = Cynoxylon floridum (L.) Raf. ex B.D.Jacks. – S, S13

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: UPL (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (name change)
• Great Plains: FACU (name change)
• Midwest: FACU (name change)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (name change)

Heliophily: 5