MAG 



MAG 



MACAW-TREE. See Cocos. 

 MACEDONIAN PARSLEY. See 



BUBON. 



MAD APPLE. Sec SoLANUM. 



MADDER. See Ruria. 



MADWORT. See Alyssum. 



MAGNOLL\, a genus containino; plants of 

 the evergreen and deciduous tree kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Poli/andria 

 Polygyiiia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 CoadtniutcB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a three- 

 leaved perianthiuni : leaflets ovate, concave, pe- 

 tal-shaped, deciduous : the corolla has nine ob- 

 lono: petals, concave, blunl, narrower at the base: 

 the stamina have numerous filaments, short, acu- 

 minate, compressed, inserted into the common 

 receptacle of the pistils below the germs : anthers 

 linear, fastened on each side to the margin of the 

 filaments : the pistillum has numerous germs, 

 ovate-oblong, two-celled, covering a club-shap- 

 ed receptacle : styles recurved, contorted, very 

 short : stigmas longitudinal of the style, villose : 

 the pcricarpiuni is an ovate strobile, covered 

 with capsules, which are compressed, roundish, 

 scarcely imbricate, clustered, acute, one-celled, 

 two-valved, sessile, opening outwards, perma- 

 nent: the seeds two or one, roundish, berried, 

 hanging by a thread from the sinus of each scale 

 of the strobile. 



The species cultivated are : 1. M. grandiflora, 

 Laurel-leaved Magnolia; 2. i\/. glauca. Swamp 

 Deciduous Magnolia; 3. M. acuminata, Blue 

 Magnolia; i.M. /7/peiaZa, Umbrella Magnolia, 

 or Umbrella Tree. 



The first rises with a straight trunk of two 

 feet or more in diameter to the height of seventy 

 or eighty feet,ormore, dividing into many spread- 

 ing branches, that form a large regular head : 

 the leaves are nine or ten inches long, and three 

 inches broad in the middle, of a thick consist- 

 ence, resembling those of the common laurel, 

 but much larger, entire, but a little waved on their 

 edges, of a lucid green on the upper surface, and 

 sometimes russet-coloured underneath ; they are 

 sessile, placed without order on every side the 

 branches, andconlinue green thnnighout the year, 

 falling off only as the branches extend, and new 

 leaves are produced : the flovi'ers are produced at 

 the ends of the branches ; are very large, and 

 are composed of eight or ten petals, narrow at 

 their base, but broad, rounded, and a little waved 

 at their extremities; they spread open very wide, 

 are of a pure white colour, having an agreeable 



scent. In its native country it begins to produce 

 flowers in May, and continues a long tnne in 

 flower, so that the woods arc perfumed with their 

 odour the greatest part of the sunnner : but in 

 this climate it seldom begins to flower till the 

 middle or end of June, and does not continue 

 long in beauty. It is a native of Florida and 

 Carolina. 



It varies with broad leaves, and with narrow 

 leaves. 



The second species grows about fifteen or 

 sixteen feet high, with a slender stem, covered 

 with a smooth whitish bark : the wood is white 

 and spongy : the leaves thick and smooth, re- 

 sembling those of the bay, entire, dark green on 

 their upper surface, but whitish or glaucous 

 and a little hairy underneath : the flowers 

 are produced in May and June at the extremity 

 of the branches ; are wliite, and have an agree- 

 able sweet scent, with only six concave petals : 

 after these are past the fruit increases to the size 

 of a walnut, with its cover an inch or more in 

 length, and three-fourths of an inch in diame- 

 ter, of a conical shape : the seed is about tlic 

 size of a kidney-bean : this fruit is at first green, 

 afterwards red, and when ripe of a brown co- 

 lour. Where it grows naturally, there is a suc- 

 cession of flowers on the trees for two months 

 or more: but in this climate there are seldom 

 more than twelve or fourteen flowers on a tree, 

 and those of short duration. It is a native of 

 North America. 



The young plants often retain their leaves 

 through the greatest part of winter; but, when 

 three or four years old, constantly cast their 

 leaves by the beginning of November. 



There is a variety with long leaves, which is 

 evergreen. 



The third grows sometimes to the heitrht of 

 thirty or forty feet, in its native state, and the trunk 

 is eighteen inches or more in diameter: the leaves 

 near eight ineries long, and five broad : the flowers 

 come out early in the spring, are composed of 

 twelve large blueish-coloured petals: the frLiit is 

 about three inches long, somewhat resembling 

 a small cucumber ; whence the inhabitants of 

 North America call it Cucumber Tree : the 

 wood is of a fine grain, and an orange colour. 

 It is a native of North America. 



The fourth species grows from sixteen to 

 twenty feet high, with a slender trunk, covered 

 with a smooth bark, and dividing into several 

 branches : the leaves are remarkably large, 

 often from twelve to fifteen inches or more in 

 M 2 



