Midland Witch Hazels

Abstract

Rafinesque had described various species of Witch Hazels as segregates from Hamamelis virginiana Linn., but none of these are now accepted by American botanists at large, as having sufficiently distinctive or constant characters to warrant recognition. All or nearly all were described from the southern or southeastern United States, and concerning their validity we need not concern ourselves here, as none are to be looked for within the region embraced by this article. Their descriptive diagnosis has been made sufficiently plain and Rafinesque's original article may be consulted by such as wish to study them critically.1 Walter2 published several species and Pursh3 one, which all met the same fate as those of Rafinesque. Pursh even advanced the opinion that the northern common Witch Hazel was specifically different from the southern one. The only other species admitted by botanists generally beside H. virginiana Linn. are the oriental H. japonica Sieb. & Zucc,4 also H. verna Sarg. which blooms in spring. The type of the genus came from Virginia whence Mitchell' first indicated the plant as typical of a new genus, though it had been known long before. He pointed out in criticism of the Genera Plantarum of Linnaeus of I737, that a number of generic types