, THE MAGNOLIA FAMILY. 9 



the branches, it is the most striking feature of the forests of Hokkaido, which in variety and 

 interest are not surpassed by those of any other part of the world. Like MagnoUa tripetala, 

 it is a tree of open habit, with long spreading irregularly contorted branches covered, as well 

 as the trunk, with pale smooth bark. The leaves, however, are not as much crowded together 

 at the ends of the flowering branches as they are in the American species, but are placed 

 rather remotely on the branchlets ; they are twelve or fourteen inches long and seven or eight 

 inches broad, and on young vigorous trees are sometimes twice this size. On the upper 

 surface they are light bright green, and pale steel blue or sometimes almost silvery on the 

 lower surface, so that when raised by the wind they give the tree a light and cheerful appear- 

 ance. The flowers are six or seven inches across when expanded, with creamy white petals 

 and brilliant scarlet filaments ; they appear in May and June, after the leaves are nearly full 

 grown, and are very fragrant. 



Magnolia hypoleuca is still rare in gardens, although it was sent by Mr. Thomas Hogg to 

 the United States as early as 1865, and has flowered in the neighborhood of New York and 

 Boston ; it is probable that it will thrive in any part of the northern United States, although, 

 like other Hokkaido trees, it may sufPer from summer and autumn droughts, which are 

 unknown in Japan, where the rainfall during August and September is regular and abundant. 

 As an ornamental tree Magnolia hypoleuca is superior to Magnolia tripetala in the fragrance 

 of its flowers and in the coloring of its leaves ; it is less desirable than Magnolia macrophylla, 

 which surpasses its Japanese relative in form and in the size and beauty of its flowers and 

 leaves, the largest produced on any plant of the Magnolia family, and larger than those of 

 any other North American tree. As a timber-tree Magnolia hypoleuca is valuable. The 

 wood, like that of all the Magnolias, is straight-grained, soft, light-colored, and easily seasoned 

 and worked. It is esteemed and much used in Japan for all sorts of objects that are to be 

 covered with lacquer, especially sword-sheaths, which are usually made from it ; in Hokkaido 

 it is employed for the interior finish of houses, and for boxes and cabinets, although harder 

 woods are generally preferred for such purposes. 



In the forests of Hokkaido a second species. Magnolia Kobus,^ occurs. This tree some- 

 times grows in the neighborhood of Sapporo to the height of seventy or eighty feet, and 

 develops a tail straight trunk nearly two feet in diameter, covered with rather dark, slightly 

 furrowed bark. The branches are short and slender, and form a narrow pyramidal head, 

 which only becomes round-topped when the tree has attained its full size. The branchlets are 

 more slender than those of most species of Magnolia, and are covered with dark reddish brown 

 bark. The flowers (Plate iii.) appear near Sapporo in the middle of May, before the leaves, 

 from acute buds an inch long, half an inch broad, and protected by long thickly matted pale 

 hairs. They are from four to five inches across when fully expanded, with small acute 

 caducous sepals and narrow obovate thin creamy white petals. The stamens, with short broad 

 filaments, are much shorter than the narrow acute cone of pistils. The leaves are obovate, 



1 Magnolia Kobus, De Candolle, Syst. i. 456. — Miqiiel, Magnolia tomentosa, Thunberg, Trans. Linn. Soc. ii. 336 



Prol. Fl. Jap. 146. — Maximowioz, Mel. Biol. viii. 507. — (in part). 



Franchet & Savatier, Enum. PI. Jap. i. 16. Magnolia glauca, var. a, Thunberg, Fl. Jap. 236. 



Kobus, Kaenipfer, Icon. Select, t. 42. 



