Cucumber Tree 



385 



less petal- like sepals which fall before the petals, 6, 9, or 12 petals, many stamens 

 borne near the base of the long receptacle, their anthers linear, and numerous 

 pistils, spicate or capitate on the upper part of the receptacle, the ovaries con- 

 taining 2 ovules, the style short or slender. The fruit is a large cone of follicles; 

 the ripe seeds are red and fleshy, hanging on long threads from the folUcles. 



Plumier dedicated this elegant genus to Pierre Magnol, who died in 1715, and 

 was sometime Professor of Botany in MontpelUer. Most of the species have 

 merit as ornamental trees or shrubs, but they furnish scarcely any products of 

 economic importance; the typical species is Magnolia virginiana Linnaeus. The 

 barks of most of the species have been used as tonics and febrifuges. 



The North American species may bs determined by the following key: 



Corolla green to yellow; follicles not tipped. 

 Leaves elliptic to ovate, rarely obovate; flowers greenish yellow. 

 Leaves rhombic-obovate to nearly orbicular; flowers canary-yellow. 

 Corolla white; follicles tipped by the styles. 

 Leaves thick, leathery, brown-tomentose beneath, persistent. 

 Leaves thin to firm, glabrous, glaucous or silky beneath. 

 Leaves not auricled at the base. 

 Leaves firm, white-silky beneath; fruit 3 to 5 cm. long. 

 Leaves thin, becoming smooth beneath; fruit 6 to^g cm. long. 

 Leaves auricled at the base. 



Leaves pale green beneath; fruit oblong-conic. 



Leaves elongated-obovate, gradually acute; stamens 9 to 13 mm. 



long. 

 Leaves rhombic-obovate, abruptly acute; stamens 4 to 6 mm. 

 long. 

 Leaves white beneath; fruit subglobose. 



1. M. acuminata. 



2. M. cordata. 



3. M. grandifiora. 



4. M. virginiana. 



5. M. tripetala. 



6. M. Fraseri. 



7. M. pyramidata. 



8. M. macrophylla. 



I. CUCUMBER TREE —Magnolia acuminata 



Linnaeus 



This elegant tree, the common name of which is 

 in allusion to its oblong fruit, which rather remotely 

 resembles a cucumber, inhabits slopes and borders of 

 streams from western New York and southern On- 

 tario to Illinois, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, 

 and northern Mississippi, sometimes forming forests. 

 It reaches a maximum height of about 30 meters, 

 with a trunk up to 1.5 meters in diameter. It is 

 also known as Mountain magnolia. 



The dark brown thick bark is deeply furrowed. 

 The young twigs are round, smooth, reddish brown, 

 becoming gray-brown. The buds are i to 2 cm. 

 long, oblong, bluntly pointed and finely white-hairy. 

 The thin deciduous leaves are ovate, varying to 



Fig. 338. — Cucumber Tree, 



