CHAP. I.] MAGNOLIACE^. 241 



ORDER III.— MAGNOLIACE^. 



This order was divided by De CandoUe into 

 two tribes: viz. Jlliciece, the Aniseed tribe; 

 and Magnolieoi, the Magnolia tribe. The first, 

 which is now made a distinct order, under the 

 name of Winteracese, contains three genera, 

 only one of which, Illicium, is common in this 

 country. The only hardy species of this genus, 

 /. floridanum^ the Florida Aniseed tree, has 

 very dark purple flowers, which appear to be 

 double from the great number of the petals, 

 which are from twenty to thirty. The carpels 

 are also numerous, and arranged so as to form 

 a star. All the plants in this tribe are highly 

 aromatic, and one species, Drimys Winteri^ which 

 has white fragrant flowers, produces an aromatic 

 bark that is used in medicine. 



The tribe Magnolieae is distinguished by the 

 fruit consisting of a number of carpels arranged 

 so as to form a cone. There are six genera in 

 this order, the most remarkable of which are 



Magnolia, Liriodendron, Talauma, and Michelia, 

 the last genus consisting of stove trees, with 



very fragrant flowers, which are generally of a 



pale yellow, and only one species of which, M. 



Champaca^ has been introduced. 



Of these genera Magnolia is undoubtedly 



the best known ; as nearly all the species are 



