Corylopsis
(from Korylos, the Hazel-tree, and opsis, like; Nut-like). ORD. Hamamelideoe. Very ornamental and interesting hardy deciduous shrubs, in habit, leaves, and inflorescence, resembling Hazels. Flowers appearing before the leaves, in pendulous racemes, each flower nearly sessile, with a large sheathing bract; petals and stamens five; perigynous scales five, alternating with the stamens, or ten to fifteen irregularly placed. Capsule woody, with narrowly ellipsoid shining black seeds. All the species are mentioned below. For culture, see Hamamelis.
C. himalayana (Himalayan). fl. yellow, white; racemes many-flowered. March. l. round, ovate, or acute, often cordate at the base, plicate, glabrous above, silky or tomentose beneath. h. 6ft. Khasia Mountains and Bhotan. (B. M. 6779.) C. multiflora (many-flowered), from the tea districts of Tokien, in China, has not yet been introduced. It has few-nerved, rather rigid leaves, glaucous beneath, and long dense-flowered racemes.
C. pauciflora (few-flowered) resembles C. spicata in colour, scent, habit, &c.; but the leaves are smaller, the racemes contain fewer (two to four) flowers, and the plant is dwarfer. Japan.
C. spicata (spicate).* fl. pale yellow, with a fragrant Cowslip-like odour; issuing singly from the axil of a greenish-yellow bract; racemes eight to twelve-flowered, 2in. to 3in. long, drooping. February. l. long-stalked, acutely cordate, strongly featherveined, mucronately serrated, somewhat hoary beneath. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Japan, 1864.