Magnolia conspicua, 

 THE CONSPICUOUS-FLOWERED MAGNOLIA. 



Synoni/mes. 



Magnolia conspicua, 



Magnolier yulans, 

 Yulans Bieberbaum, 

 Magnolia dai fiori grandi, 

 Yu Ian, 

 Lily-flowered Magnolia, 



De Candolle, Piodromus. 



Don, Miller's Dictionary. 



Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 



France. 



Germany. 



Italy. 



China. 



Britain and Anglo-America. 



Derivations. The Chinese name, Yu Ian, signifies the Lily-tree, from the resemblance of the flowers of this species to the 

 lily. 



Engravings. London Botanical Magazine, pi. 1621 ; Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum, figure 34, vol. i., and pi. 12, vol. v. ; 

 and the figures below. 



Specific Characters. Deciduous. Leaves obovate, abruptly acuminated, younger ones pubescent, expand- 

 ing after the flowers. Flowers erect, 6 9-petaled. Styles erect. Don, Miller^s Diet. 



Description. 



:HE Magnolia conspicua, as 



its name indicates, is a 



beautiful and showy tree, 

 ^^ and distinguishable from 

 all others of the genus by the expanding of the flow- 

 ers before any of the leaves. A full-grown tree, in its 

 native country, is said to attain a height of forty or 

 fifty feet, and it has arrived at nearly the same eleva- 

 tion in Europe and America. It assumes a regular, 

 conical shape, with numerous branches and twigs, 

 which generally have a vertical, rather than a hori- 

 zontal direction ; so that a large tree of this species, 

 would probably be more fastigiate than any of its con- 

 geners. This tree, as well as those native of Asia 

 generally, differs from the American species in having 

 two opposite spathe-like bracteas enclosing the flow- 

 er-buds, with ovaries somewhat distant, and in having 

 anthers bursting inwards. In young trees, the leaves are from six to eight 

 inches in length, and from three to four inches broad. The flowers, which put 

 forth in March, April or May, are of a milky whiteness, from six to eight inches 

 in diameter, and emit a powerful odour. The fruit, which is of a deep-red col- 

 our, is of an irregular form, three or four inches in length, and often assumes 

 fantastic shapes. It contains from one to four seeds, which usually mature, near 

 New York, early in October. It is observed that at least one half of these seeds, 

 when sown, prove abortive. 



Varieties. This species has ripened seeds in various parts of Europe, and in 

 the United States ; and as it fertilizes readily with the Magnolia purpurea and 

 gracilis, several varieties have already been produced, and many more may be 

 expected. The two following are particularly worthy of cultivation : 



1. M. c. souLANGEANA, Loudoii. Soidauge^s Coiispiciious-Jiowered Magnolia. 



