The native range of this large shrub is centered in southwestern Europe and adjacent Middle East, where relatively large red fruits have much human consumption. Although widely cultivated in temperate regions, the species has not become invasive in eastern North America, where there are just a few scattered records of persistent or escaped plants from Ill. to NY (K). It appears to be rarely escaped in the Cincinnati area, Ohio (D. Boone, pers. comm.). There is a potentially naturalized population in WOOD on the old "Airdrie" horsefarm along Old Frankfort Pike. Plants are persistent here in a fairly natural woodland, but it is not clear if self-seeding has occurred. C. mas is type species of the genus Cornus, wihich some authors consider should not be applied to native species of eastern North America (W and citations). These authors would place florida into the genus Benthamidia, and the remaining natives of Ky. into the genus Swida. Such revision may be inevitable for some purposes, but a more traditional approach can still be considered, perhaps with subgeneric concepts emphasized in treatments rather than novel binomials (Eyde 1987). There are practical or even political issues in nomenlatural changes that many users consider excessive. Division of the massive genus Quercus into several genera can be clearly justified, but there would be resistance.