i6i4 A TEXTBOOK OF THEORETICAL BOTANY 



cium and gynoecium are spiral in all genera. The number of stamens is 

 large and the carpels are numerous. The fruit is a follicle, a berry or a 

 samara. In Magnolia the individual seeds hang suspended by the unrolled 

 spiral vessels of the funicle when the follicle splits open. These seeds have 

 bright red or orange testas and are therefore highly decorative. 



The more important genera besides Magnolia are Drimys, Liriodendron, 

 lUicium, Schizandra and Kadsura. The genus Magnolia is important mainly 

 on account of its horticultural value. There are some sixty species, which 

 are found in two areas, the one in tropical North America and the other 

 in south-eastern Asia and Japan. They are mostly trees with large white 

 or pink flowers (Fig. 1468) which fall into two groups, those in which the 



Fig. 1468. — Magnolia lennei (hybrid). Flower. 



number of perianth segments is large, giving a smaller star-like flower 

 about 3 inches across, and those in which the number of petals is few but 

 the flowers are very large, up to 12 inches or more in diameter. Many 

 species flower early in the spring before the foliage and are therefore of 

 great decorative value. A large number of hybrids are known, the identity 

 of which is a matter of doubt, and the recognition of the species is a matter 

 of great difficulty. The perianth is cyclic in two whorls of three. The 

 number of perianth segments in other genera varies but is usually four or 

 five. The stamens and carpels are very numerous and always spirally 

 arranged on an elongated central axis. M. acuminata, the Cucumber Tree, 

 so called because the green fruits resemble a cucumber, is used for timber 

 especially in the United States. Some like M. grandiflora are evergreens 

 and are often cultivated in this country as wall shrubs. Others, such as 

 M. denudata, are deciduous and are often grown as specimen trees. Many 

 of the species however have not yet been introduced into cultivation owing 

 to the very short period during which the seeds remain viable. 



The genus Liriodendron contains the single species L. tulipifera, the 

 Tulip Tree, which is often cultivated in parks. It is a native of North 



