This unusual shrub can be found growing alongside the Middle Walk.
A member of the Hamamelidaceae, or witch hazel family, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana is closely allied to the more widely grown Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), which it grows beside. The stemless flowers are distinct from those of the Persian ironwood in having more stamens, but also in having distinct involucral bracts, which closely resemble petals. A deciduous species, it can grow to reach 6m in height. In its native Himalayas, the twigs are used for making rope bridges, while the wood is also noted for its close grain and density. It is thought that this species was first introduced to gardens of the United Kingdom by Kew in 1879, but it still remains something of a rarity in cultivation.