OF Ohio 



71 



CUCUMBER TREE 



Magnolia acuminata, Linnaeus 



THE hardiest Magnolia native to eastern North America 

 is the Cucumber Tree. In appearance it suggests a 

 tropical tree for its leaves and flowers are large. 



T^he leaves are simple, alternate, thin, egg-shaped, 4 to 12 

 inches long, pointed at apex, smooth along margin. 



The flowers arc 

 large, upright, soli- 

 tary, bell-s h a p e d 

 about 3 inches long, 

 greenish tinged with 

 yellow, scarcely per- 

 ceptible among mass 

 of foliage. The fruit 

 is a red cucumber-like 

 mass, 2 to 3 inches 

 long, containing scar- 

 let, pea-size seeds sus- 

 pended by long slen- 

 der white threads at 

 maturity. 



The bark is gray- 

 ish to brown, breaks 

 up into long furrows. 

 The twigs arc 

 smooth, shiny, bit- 

 ter, rather stout, 

 brown, marked with 

 crescent-shaped leaf- 

 scars. The buds are 

 conical, sharp-point- 

 ed, about }4 of an 

 inch long, pale silky. 



The wood is soft, 

 not strong, brittle, 

 light yellowish to 

 reddish-brown. It is used for the same purposes as Yellow 

 Poplar. 



The Cucumber Tree is found from western New York 

 south to Illinois, Georgia and Arkansas. It is found locally 

 throughout Ohio. It is most abundant in the northeastern 

 part of the State. Nearly all has been cut out of the hills 

 of southeastern Ohio. Rich moist woods with abundant 

 sunlight are its favorite home. It reaches a height of 80 to 

 90 feet and a diameter of 3 to 4 feet. Good wood, rapid 

 growth, few foes arc among its principal merits. It is a 

 beautiful tree for lawns and parks. 



CUCUMBER TREE 



One-fourth natural size. 



Seeds and twig sections, enlarged. 



