92 WITCH-HAZEL FAMIDY 



water, the finger-like racemes of Virginia willow flower 

 from February to June, lifting their white blossoms against 

 a curtain of Spanish moss, or bending low over the water. 

 This shrub in its native habitat grows only in damp soil, 

 but adapts itself to drier locations when brought under 

 cultivation, and long ago was introduced in England for 

 ornamental planting. Since it is not a willow, and as it is 

 common in other states as well as in Virginia, the name 

 Virginia willow is neither accurate nor descriptive. A 

 local name in Florida is Washington plume. 



Itea virginica. Flowers white, about 1/4 in. across, in dense 

 terminal racemes 2-6 in. long. Petals narrow. Shrub 2-8 

 ft. tall. Leaves oblong, pointed, 2-5 in. long, minutely- 

 toothed. Swamps. Blooming from midwinter to early sum- 

 mer. Fla. to Pa., La., and Mo. 



WITCH-HAZEL FAMILY (HamameUdaceae) 

 Large tree. Leaves alternate, roundish, deeply lobed, deciduous. 



Sweet Gum. Red Gum. Alligator Tree (Genus 



Liquidamhar) 



The sweet gum is very common in many places in 

 Florida, and its dark green, almost star-shaped leaves 

 are among the easiest to identify from a passing car. 

 These shining leaves have an agreeable odor when crushed, 

 and the sap — liquid amber — hardens into a fragrant resin. 



Beautiful autumn colors of deep red, purple, and bronze 

 make the trees as conspicuous in the peninsula, where early 

 frosts are unknown, as they are in colder states. The 

 foliage is late in falling here, and in April the trees, 

 which are of handsome pyramidal form, are again in 

 leaf. 



Liquidamhar Styraciflua. Large tree. Branches usually 

 with corky ridges. Leaves stalked, 3-7-lobed, mostly 3-6 in. 



