SWEET BAY, OR WHITE BAY 



{Magnolia virginiana L.) 



SWEET BAY, or white bay, is a small slender 

 tree with gray branches attaining heights of 

 15 to 30 feet, depending upon the soil conditions. 

 It is found on low, moist or wet lands, and along 

 the margins of water in the Coastal Plain and less 

 abundantly in the eastern portion of the Piedmont 

 region. It is associated with white cedar in the 

 "juniper bays." It sprouts up freely after fires and 

 sometimes forms thickets. It 

 is often cultivated as a gar- 

 den plant in this country 

 and in Europe. 



The leaves are simple, ob- 

 long, pale green above and 

 white beneath, most of them 

 dropping off during the win- 

 ter, especially in the Pied- 

 mont. The winter buds 

 are thickly 

 "la \\M// fiwMill ^--mPTT^xioyered 



with fine 

 hairs. 



The fra- 

 grant 

 f 1 owers, 

 with 9 to 



12 pure white petals ou slender smooth stems, meas- 

 ure from 2 to 3 inches across. They continue to 

 open during several weeks in the spring and early 

 summer. The fruit cluster, or "cone," is oval in 

 shape, dark red, smooth, about 2 inches long by 

 one-half an inch broad, and contains scarlet seeds 

 which are variably oval and much flattened, about 

 one-quarter of an inch long. 



The wood is soft, light brown tinged with red, 

 with cream-white sapwood. The tree is usually 

 too small for the wood to be of much commercial 

 importance, although it is sometimes used along 

 with gum for woodenware and for making paper 

 pulp. ^ 



SWEET BAY, OK WHITE BAY 



Leaf, one-third natural size. 

 Twig, two-thirds natural size. 



53 



