206 Rhodora [Octobbb 



Plumier in his Nova plantartim Americanarum genera, p. 36, pi. 7 

 (Paris, 1703) gave the name in honor of Magnol, a professor of botany 

 at Montpelier, France, and also gave what for the times was a good 

 plate of the details of the structure of the flower. He says he has 

 seen hut one species. Linnaeus adopted most of Plunder's generic 

 names, and among them Magnolia. 



Clayton in his Flora. Virginica, ed, 2, p. 83 (1762) cites (although 

 without binomial designations) several species of the genus, among 

 them Magnolia glauca, the shrub or low tree popularly called Swamp 

 Laurel or Heaver Tree, which was in fact the most plentiful in number 

 and most fragrant in flower, as well as most kindly disposed to trans- 

 planting. 



Many gardens in England, France and Spain had plants of Ameri- 

 can origin before the end of the 17th century. In the next century 

 the pupils of Linnaeus spread themselves over a large part of Europe 

 as well as over New Spain and the more easily explored coast line of 

 the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the islands, of the St. Lawrence 

 valley. Of these travellers Peter Kalm kept a journal of his wander- 

 ings and discoveries. Under the date of Oct. 20, 174S, he gives two 

 pages (vol. i. pp. 160-1-61 in Forster's English translation, Ed. 2) 

 to the Magnolia, which must have been pleasant reading for those 

 old colonial days. 



"Oct. the 20th. The Bearer free is to be met with in several parts 

 of Pensylvania and New Jersey, in a poor swampy soil, or on wet 

 meadows. Dr. Linnaeus calls it Magnolia glauca. Both the Swedes 

 and English call it Heaver free, because the root of this tree is the 

 dainty of beaver, which are caught by its means, however the Swedes 

 sometimes gave it a diiferent name, and the English as improperly 

 called it Swamp Sassafras and White Laurel. The trees of this kind 

 dropt their leaves early in autumn, though some of the young trees 

 kept them all the winter. I have seldom found the beaver tree north 

 o'f Pensylvania, where it begins to Mower about the end of May. 

 The scent of its blossoms is excellent, for by it you can discover 

 within three quarters of an English mile, whether these little trees 

 stand in the neighborhood, provided the wind be not against it. 

 For the whole air is filled with this sweet and pleasant scent. It is 

 beyond description agreeable to travel in the woods about that time, 

 especially towards night. They retain their flowers for three weeks, 

 and even longer, according to the quality of the soil on which the 



