arraneement of the parts of the flower when few, and by their number when the quinary occurs,
also by their spicate, not rertieelled ovaries : from anonacese, to which they perhaps even more,
nearly approach, by their stipules, and solid, not ruminated, albumen.
E ssential C haracter. Polypetalous; polyandrous; ovary wholly superior; carpels more
or less distinct, leaves furnished with stipules: without transparent dots.*
G eographical D istribution. The species of this order are nearly confined to America
and Asia two or three only having as yet been found in Australia; and none in Africa or Europe.
In North America they are most abundant, the woods, swamps, and sides of hills of that country
abounding in species. In India they have a very wide-range; extending from the southern
nrovinees of Ceylon and the Peninsula, up to the Himalayas, some of the largest species of the
order being natives of the valley of Nepal and neighbouring mountains, while others, extending
eastward towards China and Japan, ascend as high as the 40° of N. latitude. The species
and genera however met with at the extremities of this range differ Michelia being almost
the onlv genus found to the southward, while Sphenocarpus and Manglietiaare conspicuous
in the north There however, several fine species of Michelia are also, found, four of which
have been figured by D r.W a llic h in his T en tan um F lo r. Nep.alensis, a n d o n e in his 1 lant. Asiat.
rariores Of theknown species of the order 14 are enumerated in Wallich’s list of Indian plants.
Blume has riven characters, of 11 in his Bijdragen, to these may now be,added one from Malabar
one from the Neelgherries, figured by Zenker, the accompanying from, the Pulney range,
of mountains, and three others, of which I possess specimens from the more elevated„regions of
Cevlon making up the total number of Asiatic species yet known to about 30, four of which are
either indigenous or naturalized in the Peninsula : two of these, are only met with on the highest
hills - the third, M. Rheedii equally on hills,and on theplains of Malabar; while Mtcheha Cham-
vaca’ a doubtful native, is cultivated on the plains on account of its fragrant flowers. 1 his predilection
of the species for the hills is equally observed in most of the other Indian ones J “early the
■whole of those mentioned by Wallich being from Nepal and Silhet. This order therefore in
its geographical characteristics though nearly confined to the tropics, or, with one or two exceptions
extending but slightly beyond them, can scarcely he viewed as a tropical order, certainly
■not to the extent that the Dilleniacete are, since the finest and largest of them are natives or
hills enioying a very moderate range of temperature, so moderate indeed as undoubtedly to
bring them within the temperate range, and such as to induce Mr. Royle (Ulustiations. of the.
Eotanv of the Himalayas) to suggest the expediency of introducing several ot them into
Europe, on account of their great size and value as timber trees—a suggestion, well deserving
of attention and which, it is hoped, will be tried both in Britain and on the continent, as it is
one easily made, and considering the unrivalled skill and facilities possessed in Europe lor
conducting such experiments, very likely to succeed.
P roperties and U ses. Bitter and aromatic properties are common toThe order, andhave
led Blume to remark, that by these properties they are known from Dilleniacece: their flowers
are usually fragrant. The fragrance, according to DeCandolle, is. such, as to produce a decided
action on the nerves, that from Magnolia, tripetala inducing sickness and head-ache ; while
Rarton states, that that from Magnolia glaruca is so stimulating as to produce paroxysms ot lever.
The bark of some, though intensely bitter, is devoid of tannin and gallic acid; that of the root of
M trlauea according to Barton is an important tonic. In this country they seem too little
known to have found their way into the Materia medica of India, at least none of the order
are mentioned by either Roxburgh or Ainsley as being employed in medicine, though Mieede
(Hort. Mai.) in his account of Michelia Champaca, (1 tab. 69) does mention the bark of the
« The order WinleriacetB is only distinguished, essentially, from this by the transparent dote o f itsleaves, and
an -inseiv related, was formerly combined with Magnoliacete. It is now said, that what all writers have
stated about the aromatic stimulant properties of Magnoliaceai, should be applied to ^interlace s!. No.species
o f the order has yet been found in India proper, but Fuicium Anisalum is a native of China, whence the Indian
with its star-like capsules, possessing, as the name imports, both the
S om a tic c S a t i v e properties of the true anise seed; and like it, furnishing to disti ation, an essential od,
, ;p aii distinguishable from that procured from the European herb. The Canella alba or Wvntei s ba
fshmcnred from a plam of this order, (Drymu: W in le ii) a native of South America. It does
Mp th a t i f transferred to India the jDrym»* would succeed, but there is every reason to suppose that the star
Anise (IUicium), might with care he introduced, and prove a valuable acquisition to this country.
root as possessing deobstruent and emenagogue properties. As a perfume and ornament, the
flowers are held in general estimation among the Natives. I have not heard of any of the
southern species of Michelia being esteemed on account of their timber, though several of the
Nepal ones afford large and valuable timber. Some of these might, I think,with every prospect
of success be transferred to our mountain tracts, and would probably prove both useful and
ornamental: in Mysore they might be expected to succeed well, though not equal to what
analogy gives us reason to anticipate in the cooler regions of tfie Neelgherries and Pulneys.
R emarks on the genera and species. In this, as in most other very natural orders, the discrimination
of both, genera and species is always a task of much difficulty, and until Blume
undertook the revision of the genera, of this order, nothing could be more perplexed. His
very valuable and costly work, the Flora of Java, I hav'e not an opportunity of consulting, there
not being, so far as I am aware, a single copy in Madras, but being very fortunately favoured,
through Dr. Arnett,with an abstract of his observations on the order I shall take the liberty of
introducing it, which I do, the more readily, as it was prepared with reference to the species here
represented;.. . __ .. _
The generic characters assigned by DeCandolle for the separation or Magnolia and Michelia,
appearing to me involved and unsatisfactory, I requested Dr. A. to supply me with
what information he possessed or could procure on the subject: the following is his answer.
« I have looked at different books about the difference between Magnolia and Michelia,
and find the only man who has really made himself master of the subject to be Blume in his
Flora Javee. He has remodelled the genera completely, and does not allow a single Magnolia
in all East India; the true ones are all American, and are determined by the anthers extror.se.
Then as to DeCandolle’s second section of Magnolia, about the fruit' of which DeC. was ignorant,
Blume shows that it is composed of two or three genera, one part of them belongs to
Michelia, another to Talauma, and one to Manglietia, He characterizes Michelia thus. Petals
(i. e. petals and sepals combined) 6-15, rarely more, in a ternary or quinary order. Stamens
numerous, the anthers anticous. Ovaries numerous, or rarely few, densely spiked but distinct
from each other, many ovules. Capsules sub-globose, coriacious, half 2 valved, loosely spiked,
many seed, or by abortion 1-2 seeded. To this genus Blume refers, all the Asiatic Magnolice
with axillary flowers and loosely imbricated fruit, whether the latter contain few or many seeds.
To these belong Magnolia fu-scata, Mag. excelsa Wall. Mag. parvifiora DeC. (Michelia parvi-
1loraDe Lessert ic. tab: 85 non DeC.) and several others. His genus Manglietia, we have
nothin0, like, but to it belongs , Magnolia insignis Wall, the ovaries contain many ovules and
are concrete, while the capsules are combined into an egg-shaped fruit. A third of Blume’s
genera is Aromadendron, having 28-36 petals, in a quaternary order, ovaries closely combined,
2 ovuledv&c. but that is truly a Java plant—lastly, is Talauma, which he has ascertained
scarcely to differ from the American species for which Jussien made the genus. Here then are
9-1-5 petals (or sepals) in a ternary order: Stamens numerous, anthers anticous, ovaries several,
united, 2 ovuled—Fruit of one mass, strobiliform, woody, irregularly dehiscent. Seeds 1-2,
pendulous in the pits of the central, cylindrical, elongated, receptacle | which by the dehiscence
is left free; the inflorescence is terminal. To this genus Blume refers Magnolia pumila of
Springel (excluding synonyms) Magnolia pumila Andr. and DeCandolle, Magnolia Rumphii
Spr. (excl. syn. Linn.) or Rumph. 2 tab. 69 &c. under his Talauma pumila (or Magnolia
pumila Andr.) he quotes (like DeCandolle) Ghuillimia Indica Rottl: which Rottler says he found
in the continent of India. Now a question here arises, can Rottler’s plant have been cultivated
? or wild ? The only information I can get on that, is that in Curtis’ Magazine, where, at
t. 977, Magnolia pumila is figured, it is said “ we have been informed that some botanists in
Madras considering this plant a new genus named it Guillimia, in honor of Lady Gwillim, the
patroness of science in that presidency.” But there it is said to be from China. Now if
Rottler’s plant came from China, then it may be the true Talauma pumila, but if it came from
the Peninsula, then I suspect it to be your Magnolia, probably the same as that given by Zenker
as Michelia nilagirica; and also the same as Colonel Walker and you have from Ceylon.
At all events whatever Rottler’s be, yours, Zenker’s, and Walker’s, have axillary inflorescence,
and more than two ovules in each ovary, and carpels, splitting down the middle so as to be half
2-valved, and are unquestionably Michelia.