Magnolia 1 585 



MAGNOLIA GLAUCA 



Magnolia glauca, Linnaus, Syst. ii. 1082 (1759); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. i. 267 (1838); 

 Sargent, Silva N. Amer. i. 5, t. 3 (1890), and Trees N. Amer. 317 (1905). 



A tree, occasionally attaining in America 50 to 70 ft. in height and 10 ft. in 

 girth, but usually much smaller. Branchlets slender, glabrous. Leaves remaining 

 on the branches usually throughout the winter till the young leaves appear in spring, 

 but in England some fall earlier ; elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, about 4 inches long 

 and 2 in. broad, rounded or acute at the apex ; thin in texture ; upper surface 

 bright green, shining, glabrous ; lower surface bluish white and covered more or less 

 with fine white pubescence. 



Flowers, on slender glabrous stalks, creamy white, fragrant, globose, 2 to 3 in. 

 across ; sepals membranous and shorter than the nine or twelve obovate petals. 

 Fruit pink, 2 in. long, glabrous. 



1. Var. longifolia, Loudon. This variety, which I have not seen, is said by 

 Sargent to have lanceolate leaves, and to continue flowering for a period of two or 

 three months. According to Loudon, it originated in Belgium, and was considered 

 to be of hybrid origin. 



2. The following is usually considered to be a hybrid, between M. glauca and 

 M. tripetala : 



Magnolia Thompsoniana, Koch, Dendrologie, i. 369 (1869) ; Sargent, in Garden 

 and Forest, i. 269, fig. 43 (1888). 



Magnolia glauca, var. major, Sims, Bot. Mag. t. 2164 (1820). 



Magnolia glauca, var. Thompsoniana, Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. i. 267 (1838). 



Magnolia major, Schneider, Laubholzkunde, i. 334 (1905). 



A small tree. Young branchlets glaucous, glabrous except for a few hairs at 

 the insertions of the leaves. Leaves obovate-elliptic, 6 to 8 in. long, \\ to 3 in. wide, 

 acute at the apex ; upper surface light green, glabrous except for pubescence on the 

 midrib ; lower surface whitish, with a greyer tint than M. glauca, covered more or 

 less with a fine pubescence. Flowers white, fragrant, 5 to 6 in. across ; sepals 

 shorter than the petals, greenish, reflexed as in M. tripetala when the flower opens, 

 and not so early deciduous as in M. glauca ; petals nine, obovate-oblong, contracted 

 into a narrow claw. 



According to Sabine, 1 this was raised in Thompson's nursery at Mile End in 

 1808, in which year the Magnolias fruited freely. A tree of M. tripetala was 

 growing close to the tree of M. glauca, from which the seed was obtained that gave 

 rise to the new plant. The latter has much larger flowers than those of M. glauca 

 and in some respects shows the influence of M. tripetala. 



M. Thompsoniana, like some hybrids, is hardier than either of the parents, 

 being much less liable to injury from spring frosts, and is commoner in cultivation 

 than M. glauca. (A. H.) 



1 In Trans. Hort. Soc. Hi. 205 (1823). 



