Corylopsis
/ˌkɒrɪˈlɒpsɪs/noun
A genus of deciduous shrubs in the witch-hazel family, grown for their early yellow flowers.
Did you know?Corylopsis was coined from Greek roots because its leaves resemble hazel, and the name preserves an ancient naming habit where plants were identified by what they seemed to imitate rather than what they truly were.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
korylos
“hazel tree”
Ancient Greek
Greek
opsis
“appearance, likeness”
19th Century
Latinized scientific coinage
Corylopsis
“a hazel-like plant genus”
Modern English
English
corylopsis
“a genus of ornamental shrubs in the witch-hazel family”