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Family Hamamelidaceae-Witch Hazel
Order: Rosales
Description of Hamamelidaceae:
Family of about 20 genera, that live in warm, temperate, and subtropical
regions and are native to Asia, North America, Africa, Madagascar, and Australia (Everett,81).
There are two lifeforms of Hamamelidaceae, shrubs and trees. Leaves are characteristically
undivided, lobeless, and alternate. They also contain star-shaped hairs.
The flowers can either be bisexual or unisexual, and the sexes can be together or on seperate plants.
They are usually located in clusters or racemes. For most species, there are 4 or 5 sepals, petals, stamens, and
two-celled ovaries. The fruit is composed of a woody, two-valved capsule with often several winged seeds
(Chittenden,51).
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Liquidambar styraciflua |
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Hamamelis virginiana |
Pictures
taken by Dr. Gary Carr, professor at the University of Hawaii. To learn more about Sweetgum and Witch Hazel, click on the
corresponding picture above.
Genus/Species Identification Guide
- Genus: Bucklandia
This tree is native from the Himalaya to Java, and is known for the giant
stipules which encirle a young auxiliary bud in order to protect. Flowers are found in groups of 4 in the head, sunk in
the axis with the calayx showing like a ring. For this tree to grow, it needs sandy loam, peat, and leaf mould, and
can be grown in greenhouse conditions
- Species: Populnea
This tree usually grows up to 100 ft; leaves are pale green; ovate-cordate, on long stalks; stipules
large, standing erect face to face
- Genus: Corylopisis
Identified as both small trees and shrubs of deciduous nature. Located in northeast Asia, these plants have
a habit of spreading. The leaves are parallel vein, bristle-toothed, alternate, and uniform. Flowers can be seen in a
soft yellow. The flowers are produced in drooping spikes of leafless shoots with large bracks at the base.
There are 5 petals and stamens, with woody fruits that have two spreading, recurved beaks. Needs light, loamy soil to grow.
- Species: Glabrescens
Can be found as a shrub or small tree that grows up to 18 ft. The leaves are roundish, cordate, ovate, abruptly short pointed,
2-4 in. long and 1-3 in. wide; flowers located on pendant spikes, 1-1.5 in. long, and 3/8 in. wide; this is the hardiest species.
- Species: Gotoana
synonym for Glabrescens
- Species:Griffithii
Shrub or small tree with closed shoots; leaves are chordate, ovate, 3-5 in. long, 1.5-4 in. wide, pointed, toothed;
flowers on spikes 1.5-2 in. long; the species is half hardy
- Species: Himalayana
synonym for Griffithii
- Species: Pauciflora
A shrub that grows to 4-6 ft. with slender shoots; leaves are 1.5-3 in. long, ovate, chordate, bristle-toothed, pointed;
flowers have 2 or 3 spikes 5/8 in. wide, and are known for their wide expansion; this is a
tender species
- Species: Platypetala
A shrub that grows 6-9 ft. with glandular shoots; leaves are 2-4 in. long, oval, abruptly pointed, and bristle-toothed;
flowers are in spikes 2-3 in. long.
- Species: Sinensis
Can be a shrub or a small tree that grows up to 15 ft.; leaves are obovate, 2-4 in. long, and chordate; flowers have 1-2 in.
long spikes
- Species: Spicata
Shrub that can grow up to 6 ft.; leaves 2-4 in. long and wide, chordate and bristle-toothed; stalk and veins are wooly; flowers have
spikes 1.5 in. long
- Species: Veitchiana
A shrub that grows up to 5-6 ft. with reddish shoots; leaves 3-4 in. long and 2 in. wide, reddish purple, oval and pointed;
flowers are in spikes 1-1.5 in. long
- Species: Willmottiae
A shrub that grows 6-12 ft. with slender shoots; leaves are ovate, roundish, 1.5-3.5 in. long, short, pointed, and hairy underneath;
flowers are in spikes 2-3 in. long
- Species: Wilsonii
Can be a shrub or small tree with downy shoots; leaves are chordate, ovate, 3-5 in. long, 1.5-3 in. wide, slender, pointed, and bristle-toothed;
flowers are in spikes 2-3 in. long, bracks are densely silky on both sides.
- Species: Yunnanensis
Can be a shrub or small tree that grows up to 20 ft. with purplish shoots; leaves are 1.5-3 in. long, roundish,
ovate, short, pointed, and minutely toothed; flowers are in spikes 1-1.5 in. long.
- Genus: Disanthus
A shrub that is long-stalked, alternate leafed, deciduous, and has small stipules. Flowers
have 5-parted calayx, 5 petals and stamens, and one ovary. The fruit is a capsule, two-lobed at apex,
with black seeds. It needs peaty soil to grow
- Species: Cercidifolia
A shrub that grows to 15 ft. with slender shoots and pale lenticels; leaves are roundish,
ovate, 2-4 in. across, and bluish-green; flowers are dark purple, 3/4 in. across, and hairy;
during the fall, leaves become red
- Genus: Distylium
Can be found as shrub or tree, and is evergreen. This species has flowers in slender racemes,
and has 2-8 stamens. The fruit is a one-seeded capsule. Leaves are alternate, leathery,
and ovate. It is native to China, Japan, and northern India. It likes to grow in sandy soil.
- Species: Racemosum
An evergreen shrub that grows up to 4 ft. with smooth shoots; leaves are elliptic and obovate,
1.5-3 in. long; flowers 3/4 in. long with red anthers and stellately downy racemes
- Genus: Fortunearia
Leaves have very branched veins and unequal teeth. Flowers have slim, small
petals, and stamens have short filaments
- Species: Sinensis
A deciduous shrub that grows up to 25ft.; leaves are obovate, shortly pointed, 3-6 in. long and
half as wide; flowers are green, 1/6 in. wide, have racemes which are male or bisexual;
fruit is a woody two-valved capsule; very hardy
- Species: Fothergilla
Deciduous shrubs that are native to the southeastern USA; leaves are alternate, stalked, and coarsely toother;
flowers don't have any petals or basal bracts
- Species: Alnifolia
A synonym for Gardeni.
- Species: Gardeni
A shrub that can grow up to 3 ft. with slender shoots that white hairs. Leaves are oval 1 to 2.5 in long
and unequally toothed. Flowers have spikes 1.5 in long, and 1 in wide.
- Species: Major
A shrub that can grow up to 8 ft., with erect shoots. Leaves are roundish-oval, 2 to 4 in long.
Flowers are in cylidrical spikes, 1 to 2 in long.
- Species: Monticola
Similar to F. major. Leaves slightly redder
in fall, and growth of the plant more spreading in nature.
- Genus: Hamamelis
Shrubs or small trees that are native to N. America and E. Asia. They are deciduous, shortstalked,
toothed, leaves with large stipules. Flowers have 4 Sepals and petals. Seeds are shot over a long
distance when ripe. Except for the H. virginiana, they are very resistant to cold, flower before
the leaves which are yellow. All species are hardy and grow best in a moist loam.
- Species: Arborea.
A variety of H. japonica
- Species: Incarnata
A synonym for H. japonica rubra.
- Species:Virginiana
Can be either a shrub or small tree that can grow up to 15 ft. Leaves are obovate, 3 to 6 in long, and smooth. Flowers are in short stalked clusters
bright yellow and 2/3 in long. Native to Eastern N. America.
- Species:Japonica
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Mollis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species: Vernalis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Liquidambar
These deciduous trees are native to N. America, Asia minor and China. They have flowers without petals.
Leaves have three to seven lobes. Fruit has a dehiscent capsule with1 or 2 winged seeds. They grow the best in
moist loam.
- Species: Formosana
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Imberbis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:orintalis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Styraciflua
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Loropetalum
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Chinense
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Parrotia
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Jacquemontiana
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Persica
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Rhodoleia
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Championii
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Forrestii
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Sinowilsonia
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Henryi
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Syconopsis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Sinensis
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Genus:Trichocladus
(Chittenden, 1951)
- Species:Crinitus
(Chittenden, 1951)
References
Chittenden, Fred J.. The Royal Horticulture Society Dictionary of Gardening.
Oxford at the Charendon Press. 1951. vol. 1-5.
Everett, Thomas H.. The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture.
Garland Publishing Inc.. New York and London. 1981. vol. 5, pp. 1587-1589. vol. 6, pp. 2035-2037.