Ill. MAGNOLIA‘CEZ: MAGNO'LIA. 29 
The general appearance of this tree greatly resembles that of Magnolia 
tripétala. The terminal arrangement of the leaves is the same, and it is 
remarkable that m America the two trees are almost always found together. 
In point of size, it exceeds the M. tripétala, both in its leaves and general 
height ; but it 1s seldom found higher than 35 ft., which exceeds the height 
of the other by a sixth part only. The body of the tree is covered with 
a smooth and very white bark, by which, in the winter, when stripped ot 
its leaves, it is readily distinguished from M. tripétala. At this season, also, it 
may be distinguished by its buds, which are compressed, and covered with a 
soft and silvery down; whereas in M. tripétala they are prominent and rounded 
at the end. The leaves, in its native country, are 35 in. long, and 9 or 10 
inches broad ; and in vigorous plants, in England, they sometimes even exceed 
these dimensions. They are borne on petioles short in comparison with the 
size of the leaves, and are of an oblong oval shape, pointed at the extremity, 
and cordiform at the base; their colour is light green above, and glaucous 
beneath. The fruit is about-4 in. long, nearly cylindrical, and of a vivid rose- 
colour whea arrived at maturity. Young plants of this species grow very 
slowly till they are thoroughly established, which will require, in general, 
two years. The year’s shoots may then be from 1 ft. to 2 ft. ; so that in ten 
years a plant may attain the height of 12 or 15 feet. It may be considered 
a short-lived tree, and, like all such, it comes into Mower when young. It has 
rarely, if ever, been propagated in this country by inarching or layers, and 
very seldom from seeds ; and, hence, the plant is very sparingly distributed. 
Soil, propagation, &c., as in M. tripétala. Seeds are ripened in France, and 
young plants imported from that country, or from North America. 
*% 5. M. acumina’ta L. The pointed-leaved Magnolia. 
Identification. Lin. Sp., 756.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 80.; Don’s Mill., 1. p. 83.; Tor. and Gray, 1. 
~ 43. 
Sdaonaiies: M. rastica, and M. pennsylvanica, of some; the blue Magnolia, Eng.; the Cucumber 
Tree, U. S.; Magnolier acuminé, Magnolier a Feuilles pointées, F.; zugespitzer Bieberbaum, 
Ger. 
Derivation. This species is called the Cucumber Tree, in America, from its fruit resembling a 
small cucumber. ‘The other names are translations of the botanic one. ; 
Engravings. Mich. Arb., 3. p. 82. t.3.; Bot. Mag., 2427.; and the plate in Arb. Brit., Ist edit. 
vol. v. ; and our jig. 39. , 
Spec. Char., §c. Deciduous. Leaves oval, acuminate, under surface pubescent. 
Flowers 6—9-petaled. (Don’s Mill.) A deciduous tree of large size. New 
York to Georgia. Height in America 60 ft. to 80ft., with the trunk 
4ft.to 5ft. in diameter at the base ; in England 30 ft. to 50 ft. Intro- 
duced in 1736. Flowers yellowish within, glaucous without, slightly fra- 
grant; May to July. Strobile cylindrical, brownish red, 3 in. long; ripe 
in October. Decaying leaves dark brown or black. Wood of a mahogany 
brown. : 
Varieties. 3 
4 M. a. 2 Candélli Savi, — Leaves ovate oblong, acute. Flowers greenish. 
Figured in Savi’s Bibl. Ital., p. 224. i 
* M. a. 3 mézrima Lodd.—Leaves much larger than those of the original 
species. Introduced by Messrs. Loddiges, and cultivated in different 
nurseries. . ane ; . 
Other Varieties. The Magnolia acuminata being frequently raised from 
seed, and the seedlings varying much in the size of their leaves, and in the 
presence or absence of pubescence, both on the leaves and wood, it would 
be easy to select several varieties apparently as distinct as those above 
mentioned, such as M. striata, latifolia, &c. In the Goldworth Nursery, 
Woking, Surrey, are some which appear remarkably distinct. 
Trunk straight, branches numerous, shoots regularly distributed. The 
leaves are from Gin. to 7in. long, and ftom 3in. to 4in. broad, upor. old 
trees, but double that size upon young vigorous-growing plants. Michaux 
describes them as oval, entire, and very acuminate ; but, in the seedlings 
raised in British nurseries, they are found sometimes ovate, nearly orbiculate, 
