a hard, tough wood resembling boxwood.
Cornus Sassafras Sassafras
Any of several woody shrubs and small trees of the genus Cornus. Represented in the North Country by several tall shrubs, such as Red Osier Dogwood ( Cornus sericea) and Alternate Leaf Dogwood ( Cornus alternifolia) as well as the ubiquitous shrublet, the Bunchberry ( Cornus canadensis).
The Dogwoods comprise a group of 30-50 species of deciduous woody plants (shrubs and trees) in the family Cornaceae, divided into one to nine genera or subgenera (depending on botanical interpretation). Four subgenera are enumerated here.