American Witchhazel

Hamamelis virginiana I^. Sp. PI. 124. 1753
Hamamelis dioica Walt. Fl. Car. 255. 1788.
Ham.am.elis androgyna Walt. loc. cit. 1788.
Hamamelis corylifolia Moench, Meth. 273. 1794.
Ham,am,elis m^acrophylla Pursh, Fl. Am, Sept. 116. 1814.
Ham.am.elis virginiana parvifolia Nutt. Gen. 1 : 107. 1818.
Ham-amelis caroliniana Walt. ; Steud. Nom. 388, as a synonym. 1821.
Hamam-elis nigra, H. estivalis, H. roiundifolia, H. dentata^ H. parvifolia Raf. New Fl. 3 : 16, 17.
1836. Trilopus virginica, T, nigra, T. estivalis, T. roiundifolia, T. dentata, T. parvifolia Raf. loc. cit.
15-17. 1836.
A shrub, or small tree, attaining a maximum height of about 10 m., and a trunk diameter of about 4 dm., the branches spreading; bark thin, brown without, reddish within ; young twigs stellate -scurfy, becoming glabrous and reddish-brown ; buds acute, pubenilent; leaves firm in texture, obovate, oval or suborbicular, 4-16 cm. long, acute or obtuse, strongly pinnately veined, coarsely crenate, at least above the middle, stellatepubescent when young, more or less pubescent when old, or the dark-green upper surface glabrous; stipules lanceolate, acute, about 1 cm. long, deciduous; flowers unfolding in autumn, the short-stalked clusters borne in the axils of leaves of the season; hypanthium pubescent; sepals triangular, spreading or reflexed; petals linear, bright-yellow, 2 cm. long or less; stamens short; ovary villous; capsule ovoid, 12-15 mm. long, tomentulose, elastically dehiscent in the autumn; seeds 7-9 mm. long, nearly black.
Type locality : Virginia.
Distribution : Nova Scotia to Ontario, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida and Texas.