Deciduous trees or large shrubs. Flowers white, pendulous. Ovary inferior. Fruit with 2 or 4 longitudinal wings.
Two cool-climate species are occasionally grown: H. monticola (Rehder) Sarg. has leaves to about 15 cm long that are elliptic to obovate. Flowers in spring, mostly 2-2.5 cm long, var. vestita Sarg. has leaves that are clearly rounded at the base. H. tetraptera Ellis has leaves to about 10 cm long and more or less ovate. Flowers 1.5-2 cm long in spring with shallow lobes and fruits with 4 wings [H. carolina L.].
Seed, layers and softwood cuttings.
3-5 species from E China and E N America.
Source: (1997). Styracaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
