Parrotia subaequalis

Chinese ironwood is in the witch-hazel or Hamamelidaceae family and is closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to China (provinces of Anhui, Jixi Xian, southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang) and is a small tree, 10–12 m, resembling P. persica in many features.

• Leaves are obovate, narrowly ovate or elliptic, 4–6.5 cm long and 2–4.5 cm across, 4–5 pairs of veins on each side of the midrib, dark green above with stellate hairs on the veins, densely stellate-pubescent below, apex acute, base rounded to truncate or subcordate, margin with irregular blunt teeth, often with a purple edge; petiole is 5–7 mm; stipules are lanceolate. Fall colours are bright hues of orange and yellow.
• Buds are naked, mounted on short stems, distinctly in one plane.
• Flowers are somewhat similar to witch-hazel flowers, small with red anthers forming a conspicuous cluster; they are produced in late winter like the witch-hazels, on bare stems, but differ in having only four rounded sepals with no petals. Flowering is in March-April.i
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• Fruit is a rounded capsule 8–9 mm across, with persistent styles and slightly enlarged floral cup, forming in September-October.