A genus of East Asian flowering shrubs known for their delicate, fragrant yellow flowers that bloom in early spring.
From Corylus (hazel) combined with Greek opsis meaning 'appearance,' because these plants were thought to resemble hazel trees. The scientific name reflects the resemblance of their leaves and structure to Corylus.
Corylopsis is called 'winter hazel' even though it's not a true hazel—botanists named it this way because early plant collectors noticed it looked like Corylus but bloomed much earlier with stunning golden flowers. It's a great example of how common names can teach us about how people *grouped* plants before modern classification.
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