38 
trees with pubescent twigs examined growing in Greene and 
ickens counties in the same state. These counties lie between 
Choctaw and Tuscaloosa counties, the counties within which this 
form was first noticed. 
It is believed after an examination of additional material that 
this form has been wrongly referred to Magnolia cordata Michx. 
Not only does M. cordata differ from it in habit, but in shape and 
pubescence of foliage as well. It approaches M. cordata in the 
often soft pubescence of the lower surface of the leaves and in 
its pubescent twigs but the flowers in place of being canary yellow 
as are those of M. cordata are green or rarely yellowish green. The 
proposed variety may be characterized as follows: Flowers large, 
7.5 to 9 cm. long, green or yellowish green; leaves especially on 
vigorous shoots sometimes broadly ovate or broadly obovate and 
cordate, subcordate, rounded or obtuse at base, soft pubescent and 
sometimes barely pale beneath; twigs of the season pubescent at 
least when young and often remaining so until the spring of the 
second season, becoming dark red brown the first winter. These 
trees, 18 to 25 m. high are not uncommon in hollows growing with 
the oaks, hickories and tulip poplar in Alabama in the region 
between Tuscaloosa and Choctaw counties. : 
The relationship of Magnolia acuminata and its varieties is 
shown by the following key. 
Key to Varieties of Magnolia acuminata 
Sun leaves pubescent and pale beneath; no leaves on vigorous 
sheets of a broadly ovate or broadly obovate type; flowers 
less than 7 cm. long; twigs glabrous 
Flowers yellow var. aurea’ 
Flowers green or yellowish green M. acuminata typica 
Sun leaves pubescent beneath ; leaves on vigorous shoots often of 
a broadly ovate or broadly obovate type; flowers green, 7 cm. 
or more long, petals broad 
wigs pubescent; leaves soft pubescent beneath; flowers 
about 7.5 cm. long var. alabamensis 
Twigs glabrous; leaves pubescent beneath; flowers 3 9 R 
. long r. ludoviciana 
Sun leaves glabrate and green beneath; twigs glabrous; flowers 
less than 6.5 cm. long, green or purplish, petals narrow 
var. ozarkensis 
The variety alabamensis Ashe is at one extreme in respect t 
copiousness of pubescence. The variety ozarkensis Ashe, essen- 
' Magnolia acuminata aurea comb. nov. Tulipastrum acuminatum 
aur cia Ashe, Bull. Charleston Mus, 13: 28, 
$ argent in Bot Gaz. 67: 232. 1919. 
Ashe in Jour. Elisha Mitchell Soc, 41: 269. 1926. 
