POPULAR FLORA. 



117 



257 



2. MAGNOLIA FAMILY. Order MAGNOLIACEiE. 

 Trees or shrubs, with aromatic or strong-scented and bitter bark, and alternate simple 

 leaves, which are never toothed ; large, thin stipules form the covering of the buds, but 

 fall off early. Flowers large, single at the ends of the branches ; their leaves in threes, 

 viz. 3 sepals colored like the petals, and 6 petals in two ranks or 9 in three ranks, their 

 margins overlapping in the bud. Stamens very many, on the receptacle, with long anthers 

 occupjing, as it Avere, the side of the filament. Pistils many, packed and partly grown 

 together one above the other, so as 

 to make a sort of cone in fruit. — 

 We have only two genera. 



1. Stipules flat, not adhering to the 



leafstalk. Petals 6, greenish-or- 

 ange. Filaments slender. Pistils 

 overlying each other and grown to- 

 gether to make a spindle-shaped 

 cone, dry when ripe, and sepa- 

 rating into a sort of key-fruit. 

 Leaves somewhat 3-lobed, and as 

 if cut oft' at the end. One species 

 onl}' is known, the 

 {Liriodendron TuUjnfera) Tulip-tree. 



2. Stipules making a round and pointed 



bud, adhering to the lower part of 

 the leaf-stalk. Petals 6 to 9. Fil- 

 aments below the anther very short. 

 Cone of fruit rose-red and fleshy 

 when ripe, the pistils oj^ening on 

 the back, the scarlet fleshy-coated 

 seeds hanging by delicate and very 

 elastic threads, Magnolia. 



Magnolia. Magnolia. 

 Our wild species divide into Laurel-Magnolias, Cucumber-trees, and Umbrella-trees. 

 ^ 1. LAUREL-MAGNOLIAS. Leaves thick, evergreen at the South; leaf-buds silky; flowers rather 

 globe-shaped, appearing through the summer, white, very fragrant 



1. Great Laurel-Magnolia. Tree with leaves deep-green and shining above, rusty beneath when 



young; flower very large. S. It has stood the winter as far north as Philadelphia. M. grandijlbra. 



2. Small Laurel-M. (or White Bay). Shrub or small tree; leaves oblong, whitish beneath; flower 



about 2' broad. Swamps. E. & S. M. glauca. 



§ 2. CUCUJIBER-TREES. Leaves thin, scattered along the branches, a little downy beneath, buds 

 silky; flowers not sweet-scented, nor showy, nor very large, appearing in spring. 



8. Common Cucumber-M. A tall tree; leaves oval or oblong, pointed; flowers greenish; young fruit 

 resembling a very small cucumber. Common W. M. acuminata. 



256. Small Laurel-Magnolia. 257. A stamen magnified, 

 the seeds hanging as Ihey drop. 



256 



258. Its cone of fruit, 



