416 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
FAMILY XXITI. THE WITCH HAZEL FAMILY. AAMA- 
MELA‘CEZE. Linpury. 
A family embracing shrubs of Madagascar, Japan, the Cape 
of Good Hope, China, and North America; an iron-wooded 
tree of Persia and the Caucasus ; a poplar-like tree of India, and 
a tree with the aspect of a cherry-tree, of Assam. Alternate, 
deciduous feather-veined leaves; a bark often sprinkled with 
stellate pubescence; deciduous stipules; small axillary, or ter- 
minal white or pale yellow flowers; a calyx four- or five-cleft ; 
petals sometimes wanting, sometimes four or five, spirally con- 
volute m1 the bud, alternate with the calyx-scgments, linear, 
deciduous ; eight or ten stamens, four or five fertile, alternate 
with the petals, with anthers opening with a valve sometimes 
deciduous, four or five scale-like and sterile, (perhaps petals) ; 
ovary, adhering to the calyx, two-celled, with usually solitary 
seeds. and two styles; a leathery or woody, two-beaked, two- 
celled capsule, are its characteristics. A single American genus, 
FPothergiila, wanting petals, has fragrant flowers, with numer- 
ous fertile stamens. Properties unknown. There is a single 
genus in Massachusetts. 
THE WITCH-HAZEL. HAMAMELIS. L.. 
Involucre three-leaved, three-flowered. Calyx deeply four- 
parted, mvested with two to four roundish scales. Petals four, 
linear: stamens four, alternate with the petals; anthers open- 
ing with a lid: scales four, opposite the stamens; capsule 
woody. two-horned, with one black, shining seed in each of 
the two ceils. opening at top by two elastic valves. Flowers 
sterile or fertile on one or different plants. 
Vue Common Wircu-Hazer. HW. Virginidna. L. 
Figured in Barton’s Flora, III, Plate 78. Catesby’s Birds, Plate 102. 
‘The variegated appearance of the American forests during 
the months of autumn,” says Dr. Bigelow, FI. 61, “ has been 
repeatediy noticed by travellers. Among the crimson and yei- 
