THE HAZEL. 



CORYLUS AVELLANA. 



Natural Order — Amentace^. 

 Class — MoNGECiA. Order — Polyandria. 



Although the Hazel never acquires the full 

 dimensions of a tree, it gives so decided a character 

 to most of our woods and hedges, that it require^ 

 a specific notice among our most remarkable 

 forest-trees. It possesses too a peculiar claim on 

 our attention from being the only British tree 

 which in its wild state produces edible fruit. 



The tree described by Pliny, under the name 

 of Avellana or Abellina, appears to have been 

 the variety familiar with us by the name of 

 Spanish-nut. It was introduced, he says, into 

 Greece from Pontus, whence it was called the 

 Pontic-nut, Avellana being a provincial term de- 

 rived from the place where it was extensively 

 planted, now called Avellino, a city of Naples, 

 The wild European Hazel he does not mention, 

 although several modern authors quote from him 

 passages which refer not to this tree but to the 

 Walnut. The nuts sent by Jacob as a present 

 to his son Joseph in Egypt were in all probability 

 Pistachio-nuts, a kind of fruit which may justly 

 be reckoned among the finest productions of 

 Palestine, and therefore well worthy of being 

 associated with the other offerings. They are 

 about the size of the Hazel-nut, but of an oblong, 

 angular form ; the kernel is of a peculiar greenish 



