Cornus oblonga var. griffithii C.B.Clarke — Saffron dogwood

Introduction

Saffron dogwood is the densely hairy-leaved variety of Cornus oblonga recognized by Tree TSAR. In the Flora of China key, the lower leaf surface carries long, soft trichomes, producing a distinctly softer texture than the short, appressed pubescence of var. oblonga and contrasting strongly with glabrous var. glabrescens. Cornus oblonga f. pilosula is included in this varietal concept (Xiang & Boufford 2005).

Tree TSAR retains var. griffithii as an accepted variety rather than following POWO, which currently reduces it to synonymy under C. oblonga. The name dates to Clarke in 1879 and predates many later combinations applied to the same hairy-leaved material. The variety belongs to the broader Yinquania lineage through its parent species.

Horticultural and Agricultural Uses

No horticultural or agricultural role specific to var. griffithii is well established in the literature reviewed here. Its most immediate value is taxonomic: the strong leaf-pubescence character provides a practical field and herbarium distinction within a morphologically variable evergreen species.

Plants maintained in collections should be documented with provenance and voucher material because cultivated environment can influence vigor and leaf size, while the key diagnostic feature is indumentum. Broader cultivation guidance should follow C. oblonga rather than being presented as variety-specific evidence.

Conservation Concerns

No independent global conservation assessment was located for var. griffithii. Flora of China records it within the broader C. oblonga range and identifies its diagnostic morphology, but population trends and the degree of genetic isolation from the other varieties remain poorly quantified.

Conservation and future taxonomic testing would benefit from geographically broad sampling tied to correctly identified leaf-indumentum states. This is particularly important because global backbones do not currently recognize the variety independently.

Additional Information

iNaturalist - parent species concept (opens in a new tab) - iNaturalist currently provides the broader C. oblonga species page rather than a separately verified Tree TSAR variety page.
Flora of China (opens in a new tab) - Variety-level treatment within the Flora of China C. oblonga complex.
iFlora China (opens in a new tab) - Accepted-name and synonym record for var. griffithii.
Plants of the World Online - parent species (opens in a new tab) - Kew currently treats var. griffithii in synonymy under C. oblonga.

References and Further Reading

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2026) Cornus oblonga Wall. Plants of the World Online. Link (opens in a new tab)

Trees and Shrubs Online (2026) Cornus oblonga. Link (opens in a new tab)

Xiang Q-Y, Boufford DE (2005) Cornus oblonga var. griffithii C.B.Clarke. In: Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) Flora of China 14. Science Press, Beijing and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. Link (opens in a new tab)