hamamelis

[Gr. ham amēlis a tree with fruit like a pear, a kind of medlar or service-tree: ham a at the same time with, and mēlon =an apple, or any tree-fruit.] Bot .: The typical genus of the order Hamamelidaceae (q. v.). It consists of plants with alternate leaves and yellow flowers, occurring in North America and China. The name is popularly given to the extract of H. virginica, or witch-hazel (q. v.).