The MagiioliacecB. 349 



flourishing condition bears evidence, that, under suitable management, they 

 are capable of resisting the vicissitudes of this northern climate. 



A few other kinds are named in the catalogues of nursery-men, and 

 their merits remain to be tested. An intelligent native of Burmah, a stu- 

 dent of medicine and divinity, now here, informs me that a small and 

 handsome species of magnolia grows in his country. It perhaps is the 

 piu-purea. 



{b.) LlRIODENDRON. 



I. L. TuLiPiFERA {Poplar, White-wood, Tulip-tree). — This is the only 

 species included in the genus, and is familiarly known as one of the most 

 stately and magnificent trees in the Western forests. The frequency with 

 which it is here met prevents its merits for ornamental purposes being 

 duly estimated. 



Its habit is much improved by cultivation, when young, in open grounds. 

 In such situations, it is an object of great beauty, especially while covered 

 with its large yellow and glaucous-green flowers in the month of June. At 

 this time, the nectaries of these flowers abound with honey of a superior 

 qualit}^, which entices the honey-bee to resort to them in great numbers, in 

 preference to the many other flowers expanded at the same period. 



Its large, rich green, and uniquely formed leaves are objects of special 

 admiration. Each leaf has two lateral lobes near the base, and two at the 

 apex, the latter abruptly truncate. The original tree, standing, of course, 

 in the Garden of Eden, produced leaves, with the two latter designated 

 lobes united into one, and terminating in an elongated spear-form point, 

 till, on a time, Damsel Flora, in a sportive mood, plucked a leaf, folded 

 together its sides upon the mid-rib, and then with her scissors abruptly cut 

 off the spear-form leaf at its middle. Since that day, the impression of 

 the mutilation has been entailed on all succeeding generations of its leaves. 

 Such is tradition. 



Seedlings frequently spring up in the forests and neglected fields, and 

 they are more tolerant of removal than cucumber-trees of similar size. No 

 tendency has been discovered in them to deviate in the least from the 

 normal habits of the species ; yet in Europe, where it has been under culti- 

 vation for near two hundred years, several varieties have been produced. 

 Its close botanical affinities to the magnolia leads to the suggestions. 



