Handbook of Trees of the Xoi; 



AXD (\\: 



The Witch-Hazel is usually a lar.irc .sluu!, 

 throughout the greater j)jrt <if its range, but 

 on the slopes of l!ie Alleghany Mountains be- 

 comes a tree 30 to 40 it. in height with spread- 

 ing crooked branches and short scaly-barked 

 trunk from 12-18 in. in diameter. The \\ itch- 

 Hazel is of special interest from the fact that 

 it does not expand its flowers until autumn, 

 often so late that its leaves have put on their 

 autumnal tints or have even fallen to the 

 ground, anil the tirst snows of tlie wint.^r 

 sonictinics iiml it beiring its singular gohien 

 and delicately fragrant flowers. In the au- 

 tumn, too. i-; the time when it scatters its 

 seeds resultin;; fr.im the flowers of the pre- 

 vious season, and this it does in a peculiar 

 way. It actually discharges them from their 

 mortar-like capsules with considerable force 

 nnd accompanied with an audible report. This 

 it does by a contrictioi of the horny lining of 

 the capsules upon tlie smooth hard seed until 

 it is discharged. <niite as one c.in discharge a 

 moist apple seed by pinching it between thumb 

 and finger. 



The wood is rather heavy, a cu. ft. when 

 absolutely dry weighing 42.73 lbs., hard and 

 very close-grained but is of no commercial im- 

 portance.! An extract from the b;irk is ex- 

 tensively used for allaying infl.unniation. 



Lcavctt oval to obovate, short-p.^tiolate. rounded 

 or suhcordate and very unequal at base, from 

 rounded to acute or acuminate at apex, undulate 

 crenate. memtiraneaceous. smooth dark sreen 

 above, lighter and pubescent on veins beneath 

 Floircrs nearly sessile : petals bright yellow, de- 

 ciduous ; calyx pubescent, persistent. Fruit cap 

 sules dull brown, opening elastically- 



1. A. W., XII. 2S1. 



1'. For genus see pp. 436-437. 



