THE WITCH-HAZEL. 345 



outward curve a few feet from the ground, and bending 

 inwards toward their summit. 



The foliage of the Alder is homely, but not meagre, and 

 its color is of a very agreeable tone. It is indeed a very 

 important feature of the landscape in summer ; but in 

 autumn it remains unaffected by the general tinting of 

 the season, and retains its verdure till the leaves fall to 

 the ground. Nature seems to regard this tree as a plain 

 and useful servant, not to be decked with beautiful colors 

 or grand proportions for the admiration of the world. 

 But, homely as it is, it bears flowers of some beauty. 

 These consist of a profusion of purplish aments contain- 

 ing a mixture of gold, and hanging tremulously from 

 their slender sprays. The extreme length and flexibility 

 of these clusters of flowers render them exceedingly 

 graceful, and permit them to be set in motion by the 

 slightest breeze. The buds are seen hanging from the 

 branches all winter, ready to burst into bloom when 

 vivified by the first breath of spring. 



THE WITCH-HAZEL. 



THE Witch-Hazel, or American Hamamelis, has many 

 superficial points of resemblance to the common alder, be- 

 side its attachment to wet, muddy soils. Its ramification 

 is peculiar ; its side branches are very short, and, like the 

 alder, it sends from one root a number of branches diverging 

 outwards, but with an inward curvature of their extremi- 

 ties. The leaves are alternate and ovate, narrowest to- 

 ward the stem and feather-veined. They turn to a sort of 

 buff-color just before the flowers appear, which are yellow, 

 having long linear petals, without beauty, growing in a 

 Cluster of four or five in the axils of the leaves. This 



15* 



