Corylopsis HAMAMELIDACEAE Distylium 



Asia; 9 in China. (From Corylus; and the Greek term opsis, likeness, because the 

 foliage resembles that of the hazel nut.) 



Key to the Species 



Young brts. and lvs. glabrous 1. C. platypetala 



Young brts. and petioles pubescent: lvs. pubescent beneath 2. C. sinensis 



1. Corylopsis platypetala Rehd. & Wils. (R.M.316). Shrub, to 3.5 m.; fr. IX. Central 

 China; locally in An., Che. Woodland. 



2. Corylopsis sinensis Hemsl. jjgafft (La Pan Hua; Wax-petal Flower) (R.M.315). 

 Shrub, to 5m.; fls. IV. Central and western China; locally in An., Ki. Wood- 

 land. 



2. Fortunearia Rehd. & Wils. ^#t£jg, (Niu Pi Shuan Shu) 



A deciduous andro-monoecious shrub: lvs. pinnately veined, with brg. veins: fls. 

 in racemes, appearing with the lvs.; petals small and sharp-pointed: capsule glabrous, 

 bearing two shiny brown seeds. One species, in China. (For Robert Fortune, an 

 English horticulturist who travelled in China during 1843-61, and introduced many new 

 plants from China to the West.) 



1. Fortunearia sinensis Rehd. & Wils. z |'||.f£ (Niu Pi Shuan; Ox-nose Peg) (R.M. 

 317). Shrub, l-3m. high; fls. IV-V; fr. X-XI. Central China; locally in An., 

 Che., Ku. Woodland. Fig. 147. 



3. Hamamelis Linn. Witch Hazel ^fi^H (Chin Lii Mei Shu) 



Deciduous trees or shrubs with terete zigzag brts. and stellate pubescence: fls. 

 perfect, in axillary few-fid. clusters, 4~?nerous; petals linear; stamens alternating 

 with scale-like staminodes: capsule 2-valved, 2-seeded. 6 species, in North America 

 and eastern Asia; one in China. (Ancient Greek name of a pear-shaped fr., probably 

 the medlar.) 



1. Hamamelis mollis Oliv. &MW (Chin Lii Mei; Golden-thread Plum) (R.M. 319). 

 Shrub or small tree, to 10 ; fls. I— III ; fr. X; lvs. densely pubescent. Central 

 China; locally in An., Ki. Woodland. 



4. Liquidambar Linn. Sweet Gum ISHtaffl (Feng Hsiang Shu Shu) 



Deciduous usually monoecious trees with palmately lobcdlvs.: fls. many, in dense 

 globose head-like clusters, apetalous, the staminate without perianth: fr. a globular 

 head, covered by persistent spiny styles, the small capsules bearing winged seeds. 4 

 species, in North and Central America, and in Asia; one in China. (Latin: liquidus, 

 fluid; and ambar, amber, referring to the fragrant oleoresin from the bark of L. 

 orientalis.) 



1. Liquidambar formosana Hance M^fJSf (Feng Hsiang Shu; Fragrant Maple) 

 (R.M.312). Tree, to 40m.; fls. IV; fr. VIII-X; lvs. usually 3-lobed. China, 

 Formosa; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Valley woods. Fig. 148. 



5. Distylium Sieb. & Zucc. WL&WlM (Wen Mu Shu Shu; 

 Mother-of-mosquitoes Tree Genus) 



Evergreen trees or shrubs: fls. in axillary racemes, polygamous or dioecious, 

 apetalous, subtended by small bracts; stamens 2-8, almost spoon-shaped; ovary 



154 



