54 TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



73. Magnolia macrophylla Michx. Large-leaved Cu- 



cumber Tree. 



A rare tree with very large leaves, 20-30 inches 

 long, narrowed and heart-shaped at the base, white 

 and pubescent beneath; flowers large and fragrant; 

 fruit nearly globular, 2-6 inches long. In this state 

 it has been found in Lincoln County and on the 

 French Broad River, near Asheville. 



74. Magnolia acuminata L. Cucumber Tree.* 



A large tree of the mountains and, according to 

 Pinchot and Ashe, extending down to Stanley, Stokes 

 and Gaston Counties. The narrow red fruit some- 

 what resembles a cucumber; leaves smaller than in 

 the other mountain magnolias, about 6-8 inches long 

 and 3-4 inches broad, whitish pubescent beneath; 

 flowers yellowish green; fruits 21/2-3 inches long. 

 Handsome in cultivation. 



75. Magnolia grandiflora L. Magnolia or Bull Bay. 



A large tree with thick, evergreen leaves, 5-8 inches 

 long, shiny dark green above and rusty pubescent be- 

 neath; flowers large, white, fragrant; fruits 3-4% 

 inches long. Found within this state only sparingly 

 in the swamps of Brunswick County. Common as 

 a cultivated tree, and near Chapel Hill young seed- 

 lings are occasionally found in woods. 



* Magnolia cordata Michx. is a cultivated magnolia similar to 

 the Cucumber Tree, and usually considered a variety of it. The 

 leaves are broader, more heart-shaped at the base, and more per- 

 sistent, and the flowers are smaller and brighter yellow than those 

 of our Cucumber Tree. Wild forms, at least approaching tne cul- 

 tivated ones, are said to occur in the mountain woods of the lower 

 Appalachians in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. 



