Beautiful Flowering Shrubs 



intruders. But though this Witch Hazel then grew 

 from seed in Messrs. Veitch's nurseries, it was not 

 until ten years later that it was botanically figured and 

 described by Dr. Henry. 



The Japanese Witch Hazel, with smaller leaves and 

 of smaller build generally, is a variable shrub which 

 disdains to be limited to very fixed characteristics. It 

 is, however, usually known in its attractive variety, 

 H.j. arborea, where the tufts of yellow flowers have dark 

 crimson touches. For here each flower has four short 

 crimson sepals, sharply recurved ; four long, thin, narrow, 

 rich yellow petals, like strips of gold, crinkled and twist- 

 ing ; four stamens, quaint, thick, red objects which have 

 two smooth basin-like anthers side by side at the top. 

 At first these recesses are each closed by a door or flap 

 hinged on to their inner side, but in the fullness of 

 time this opens, like the door of a safe, disclosing 

 treasure within, golden - yellow pollen, which shows in 

 striking contrast to the crimson of the basin in which 

 it lies. For the most part this pollen tends to adhere 

 to the opening door, so that it is thus brought out of 

 its recess and forced upon any visitor that intrudes into 

 the centre of the flower. In the middle of the four 

 stamens two green columns stand up stiffly and closely 

 from a rough green seed-case. After fertilisation matters 

 progress very slowly, and it may be as much as a year, or 

 even two, before the dry woody capsules fall. Eventually, 



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