Tab. 7884 

 HAMAMBLIS mollis. 



Native of China. 



Nat. Or J. Hamamelide.«. 

 Genus Hamamelis, Gronov, ; (Benth. & Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 667.) 



Hamamelis mollis ; frutex v. arbor 10-30-pedalis, cortice atro-fnsco, ramulis 

 foliisque subtus stellato-tomentosis, foliis breviter petiolatis 4-5 poll, 

 longis obovato-rotundatis oblongisve cuspidatis sinuato-dentatis basi 

 msequaliter cordatis sinu acuto supra minute subscabride t-tellato- 

 pubescentibus, stipulis f poll, longis lineari-lanceolatis extus tomentosis 

 mtus glabris caducis, floribus in pedunculis glomeratis, calycis pubes- 

 centis lobis ovato-rundatis rubris, petalis ad £ poll, longis loriformibus 

 aureis, filamentis brevibns crassis glabris, antheris reniformi-rotandatis 

 ovario villoso, stylis brevibns recurris, capsula tomentosa. 



H. mollis, Oliv. in Hook. Ic. PL vol. xviii. t. 1742. Hemsl. in Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. Bot. vol. xxiii. (1887) p. 290. 



Of Hamamelis only three species are as yet known. 

 n. virginia?ia, Linn. t. 6684, of the Eastern United States. 

 H. japonica, Sieb. & Zucc. t. 6659 (H. Zuccariniana, Ottol. 

 in Gard. Ghron. 1874, vol. i. p. 187), and H. mollis, 

 which extends the distribution of the genus into Western 

 China. Though so widely apart geographically, the three 

 species hardly differ in any essential characters of habit, 

 inflorescence, or floral structure, but the Japanese and 

 Chinese are more akin than either is to the American, 

 which is nearly glabrous, and has smaller flowers, with 

 the calyx-lobes green within. H. mollis differs from its 

 two congeners in the stellate tomentum of the leaves 

 beneath, which are rather deeply cordate at the base, and 

 in the broader petals. Its calyx-lobes are, as in H.japonica, 

 purplish-red. All three flower in winter, and leaf and 

 fruit in summer or autumn, the foliage colouring before it 

 falls. 



H. mollis was first described and figured in Hooker's 

 " Icones Plantarum," from specimens collected by Mr. 

 Henry in the Patung district of the Province of Hupeh. 

 It has since been found in Kiangsu, in the district of 

 Kiukiang by Mr. Maries, who sent seeds to Messrs. Veitch, 

 by whom plants were raised and presented to the Royal 

 March 1st, 1903. 



