380 HAMAMELIDEiE. [part ii. 



the Irish Ivy, is a native of the Canary Isles ; 

 and the gold and silver leaved, and golden 

 berried, are all varieties of the common kind. 

 There are, however, many exotic species, most 

 of which have not yet been introduced. The 

 genus Aralia, known by its two garden species, 

 A. spinosa and A. japonica^ belongs to this 

 order. The first of these is called the Angelica 

 Tree, and is an old inhabitant of our gardens ; 

 but A.japonica is of quite recent introduction. 



ORDER XCIX.*— HAMAMELIDE^. 



The most interesting plants in this order are 

 the Witch Hazel {Hamamelis virginica)^ and-Fo- 

 thergilla ahiifolia. In the first of these plants, 

 there are four long narrow petals, and the calyx 

 is four-lobed ; and there are eight stamens, of 

 which four are fertile, and four barren. There 

 are two styles, and the capsules are leathery 

 and two-celled, and two-valved, with one seed 

 inclosed in an aril in each cell. The Witch 

 Hazel has the peculiarity of coming into flower 

 when it drops its leaves in autumn, remaining 

 in flower all winter, and forming its fruit in 

 spring, just as it is opening its new leaves. The 

 flowers are yellow, and very pretty from their 

 great abundance, and the light feathery effect 

 produced by the great length and narrowness ' 



