HAMAMELIS 193 



in buds, 2-5 cm. long, petioles 1-3 cm. long, puberulent; racemes 3-5 cm. 

 long, leafy-bracted, few-flowered, flowers golden yellow, spicy scented, 12- 

 24 mm. long, calyx-tube cylindric, 3-4 times as long as the spreading or 

 reflexed lobes, petals pink, erect, 2-2.5 mm. long, stamens short, slightly 

 exserted ; berries black or yellow : aureum, golden. 



Along banks of streams, probably native in the southwestern part of 

 the state. Extensively cultivated as an ornamental shrub and occasionally 

 escaped. Distributed from Minn. ( ?) through Mo. and Ark. westward 

 to Saskatchewan, eastern Washington and Oregon. Blossoms in May, 

 fruit ripe in July and August. 



Hamamelidaceae Witch-Hazel Family 



Shrubs or trees with alternate simple leaves and deciduous stipules, 

 flowers in heads or spikes, often polygamous or monoecious, calyx adher- 

 ing to the base of the pistil, 4-5 parted or lobed, petals 4-many or none, 

 long and narrow, stamens 4-many, distinct, pistil compound, carpels 2, 

 united at base; fruit a two-beaked, two-celled, woody capsule, opening at 

 the summit, with 1 -several bony seeds in each cell. 



Hamamelis Linne 1753 Witch-Hazel 

 (Greek name for some tree) 



Tall shrubs or small trees, with alternate, toothed, straight-veined 

 leaves; flowers in small axillary clusters, bright yellow, surrounded by 

 a scale-like 3-leaved involucre, appearing in late summer or autumn, calyx 

 4-parted, persistent, adnate to the base of the ovary, petals 4, narrow, 

 strap shaped, stamens 8, short, the 4 opposite the petals imperfect and 

 scale like, pistil 2-celled, styles 2, short; fruit a woody capsule, opening 

 by two valves at the top. 



A genus of 3 species, one native of eastern North America, the others 

 of Japan. 



Hamamelis virginiana Linne 1753 Witch-Hazel 



A branching shrub 2-4 meters (6-12 feet) high, twigs with slightly 

 scurfy or smooth bark ; leaves short petioled, obovate or oval, wavy toothed 

 and stellate pubescent at least when young, 6-15 cm. long, 4-10 cm. wide; 

 flowers appear in autumn when the leaves are falling and while previous 

 fruit remains ; seeds mature the summer after the flowering : virgini- 

 ana, Virginian. 



