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points, white, slightly tinged with purple at the back.
Petals 6, in two series, large and spreading when the flower
is expanded, obovate, rounded at the point, or sometimes
slightly retuse, strongly veined with longitudinal veins, inside
white, the outside more or less tinged with purple, strongest
when most exposed to the sun, and when the flower is first
expanded, it afterwards becomes lighter. Stamens numerous,
surrounding the carpella in several series : filaments
very short and succulent, pale purple : anthers linear, attached
by the base to the filaments. Carpella in a long
slender spike. Ovariums each one-styled. Style smooth,
of a greenish white, a little recurved. Stigma simple,
acute.
This handsome plant is a hybrid production, and was first
raised in the collection of the Chevalier Soulange-Bodin, at
his establishment, Jardln de Fromont, near Paris, from the
seed of M.conspicua (M. Yulan.TfCi) and from a plant sent
by him to us, and which we planted in our garden by the
side of a wall in a southern aspect, where it produced its
handsome flowers, our drawing was made the beginning of
May last; the large leaf was procured from a plant at the
Nursery of Mr. Lee, at Hammersmith, as those on our plant
were not fully grown; its other parent was supposed to be
M. ohovata vox. purpurea, but the recurved styles prove
that to be erroneous, and determine it to have been M.
Kobus (the M. gracilis of Salisbury), which is also a purple-
flowered species; we are informed that most of the principal
Nurserymen about London are now in possession
of it; and it will be a great acquisition to our gardens,
thriving well in a sheltered situation in the open air, but
better against a wall, and may be increased by layers, or by
inarching or budding on the commoner sorts.
The generic name was given by Linnaeus, to immortalize
the merits of P. Magnol, Professor of Botany at Montpelier,
and Author of several Botanical works.
1. One o f the large leaves. 2. Bud expanding, to show the deciduous
bractes that are not y et dropped off.
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