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2‘2 ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. I I I . MA G N O LM'U EÆ : MAGNO'L/ r i .
Gen. Char. Calyx o f 3 deciduous sepals, th a t resemble petals. Corolla of
from 6— 9 petals. Stamens numerous. Pistils numerous. Carpels disposed
compactly m spikes, opening by the external angle, 1—2-seeded, permanent.
Seeds baccate, somewhat cordate, pendulous, hanging out bevond the carpels
by a very long umbilical white thread.
Leaves simple, a lternate, stipulate, deciduous o r evergreen ; entire, large,
oblong or oval, stipulate. Flowers terminal, solitary,Seed 7 large, O'"»
odoriferous!
large, roundish, produced in conical strobiles. ""Trees and . shrubs.
. .
natives o f North America and Asia.
One o f the species is a lofty evergreen tre e ; b ut the others are deciduous,
and partly trees and partly shrubs. The seeds are mostly o f a scarlet
colour. The roots are branched, and ye t b ut sparingly supjilied with
fibres. Magnolias may be cultivated in most parts o f B ritain, and o f the
middle and southern states o f Europe ; but, n orth o f London and Paris, some
o f the species require protection during winter, o r to be kept in the greenhouse.
_ A deep sandy soil, and a situation sheltered from th e n orth and east,
will suit most o f the species ; though some, as M. glaúca, for example, thrive
best m a moist peaty soil. Few o f the species ripen seeds in England, but
most o f them do so in France. From these seeds, or from such as are imported,
all the American species, except M. grandiflora, are most frequently
raised ; b ut th e species from Asia are increased by layers, as are occasionally
some o f th e more rare o f the American species. In no case whatever would
we recommend purchasing any sjiecies o f magnolia n o t grown in a p o t ;
because plants so grown may be sent to any distance without injury to the
roots, which are few and succulent, and easily damaged by exposure to the
air and light. The hardy species o f this genus are included in two sections,
MagnoMstriim and Gwillimia.
§ i. Ma^uioZiastrum.
De rivation. M a g nU ia ; and a s trum , from ad in s ta r . an affixed partic le , signifying likeness.
Sect. Char. American species, with one spathe-like bractea enclosing the
flower-bud; ovaries approximate ; anthers bursting outwards. ( Don’s
Mill., i. p . 83.)
i 1. M agno' l /.! g r a n d if l o ' ra L . The large-flowered Magnolia.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 7 5 5 .; Dec. P ro d ., I . p. 8 0 .; D o n ’s Mill., I. p. 8 2 .; T o r. an d Grav
1. p. 42. - '
Synonymes.
E n g ra vin g s. Mill. Ic., 2. t. 172.; th e plate in vol. v . o f A rb. B rit. 1st e d i t ! ; an d o u r fig . 34.
Spec. Char., ^c. Evergreen. Leaves oval-oblong, coriaceous, upper surface
shining, under surface rusty. Flowers erect, 9— 12 petals, expanding. (Don’s
M ill.) A large evergreen tree. N o rth Carolina. Height in North
America 60 ft. to 70 ft. ; in England 20 ft. to 30 ft. Introduced in 1737.
Flowers white, fra g ra n t; Ju n e to September. Strobile brown, with scarlet
seeds ; ripe in October. Decaying leaves yellow and orange, dropping in
June. Young wood green.
Varieties.
i M . g . 2 obovata^ Ait. — Leaves obovate-oblong. Flowers expanded.
(Hort. Kew., iii. p. 3 2 9 .) This seems to be the only variety found
in a wild state, in British gardens it is a magnificent plant, the
broad ends of its leaves forming a conspicuous feature, and distinguishing
it readily from the original species, the leaves o f which are
pointed ; but it does not flower freely.
M . g. 3 exoniénsis H o rt. M. g. lanceolata rid .; M. g. stric ta ffori ;
M g ferruginea Hort. The Exmouth Magnolia. (B o t. Mag., t,
1952. ; Bot. Cab., t. 1814. ; the plate in Arb. Brit., I st edition vol. v. ;
and o u r / g . 33.) — Th e leaves are oblong-elhptical, generally rusty
3 3 . Majinòlto gran d iflò ra exoniénsia.
underneath. Flowers somewhat contracted. This is th e most
distinct of all the varieties o f the species, and, on account o f its
flowering early and freely, the one best deserving of general culture.
I t forms a tall, fastigiate, elegant bush, o r tree, and has attained
the height o f 30 ft., as a standard, a t various places in the South o*
Î M ^ ^ T an gu stifilia H o rt. — Leaves lanceolate, pointed at both extremities,
wavy. A very distinct variety, introduced from P a n s about
1825, which has n ot yet flowered in England.
Î M .g . 5 præ'cox Andry.—Leaves oval-oblong. Flowers fully expanded.
This is an early variety, introduced from Pa ris about 1830. The
flowers are as large as those o f any o f the varieties, and they are
produced from the end o f May till the approach of winter.
Other Varieties. In consequence o f the great demand for this species in
the nurseries, many slight variations have been noticed by cultivators, and
named as distinct. In the garden of th e London Horticultural^ Society,
in 1834, there were plants with the following names ; — M . g. vera, M . g.
latifòlia, M . g. exoniénsis var., and M . g. rubiginòsa. In the London nurse-
i-ies are — M . g. rotundifòlia Swt., M . g. elliptica Ait., and various others.
In the nursery o f M. Roy, a t Angers, are 18 varieties, among which are
included M. g. longifòlia undidàta, M . g. exoniénsis à fleur demi-double, M .
g. canalicidé, M. g. Jloribûnda, M . g. foliis variegàtis. Sec. A t Desio, near
Monza, there is a variety called M . g. magordénsis.
Selection of Varieties. M . g. obovàta deserves the preference for the magnificence
of its foliage ; and M . g. exoniénsis, because it flowers early and
freely ; and because, from th e fastigiate form of the tree, it is less liable
to be injured by a heavy fall o f snow ; it seems also to grow faster than
any of the other varieties. Where the tree is to be trained against a wall,
M . g. præ'cox deserves the preference, on account o f the largeness o f its
flowers, and because they appear early, and continue during the whole
summer. M . g. angustifòlia deserves culture on account of its foliage, which
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