390 



The Magnolias 



Linnaeus, mistaking the 3 petal-like sepals for petals, gave the tree the inap- 

 propriate name of tripetala. 



6. LONG-LEAVED UMBRELLA TREE - Magnolia Fraseri Waher 



Magnolia aiiriculata Lambert 



Inhabiting rich woods, mainly in the mountains from southwestern Virginia 



to Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi, this small 

 tree often makes up a considerable portion of the 

 forests, attaining a maximum height of about 15 m., 

 with a trunk sometimes 5 dm. thick, the branches 

 mostly spreading. Its thin bark is brown and nearly 

 smooth, the round, smooth twigs reddish brown to 

 gray, the narrow, smooth purple buds 2 to 4 cm. 

 long. The leaves are clustered near the ends of 

 branchlets, obovate-spatulate, thin, pointed or blunt- 

 ish, 2 to 4 dm. long, with two blunt basal auricles; 

 they are smooth on both sides, the upper surface 

 dark green, the under pale green; the slender leaf- 

 stalks are 3 to 7 cm. long. The white fragrant 

 flowers open in May and June ; the sepals are obovate, 

 blunt, shorter than the petals, and fall away soon 

 Fig. 344. Lon^-ieaved Umbrella after the flower opens; the petals are 12 cm. long or 

 ' ' ^^^^- less, elliptic to ovate, clawed, mostly blunt ; the sta- 



mens are 9 to 13 mm. long; the fruit is oblong-conic, 12 cm. long or less, rose- 

 colored, the beaked carpels yellow inside. 



The tree does not lend itself well to cultiva- 

 tion in the open. Its wood is white, excepting 

 the small brownish heart, is weak and soft, 

 with a specific gravity of about 0.50. It is also 

 known as Eraser's Magnolia. 



7. RHOMBIC-LEAVED UMBRELLA 

 TREE Magnolia pyramidata Pursh 



This tree, which inhabits woods and river- 

 banks in southern Georgia, northern Florida, 

 and Alabama, is closely related to the prece- 

 ding species, with which it has been confused. It 

 attains a maximum height of only about 10 me- 

 ters, with a trunk up to 2 dm, in thickness. 



Its brown bark is thin and nearly smooth, 

 the twigs reddish brown, turning gray, the long 



Fig. 345. Rhombic-leaved Umbrella 

 Tree. 



