Ill. MAGNOLIA CE: MAGNO'LIA. 35 
2 9. M. purpu‘REA Sims. The purple-fowered Magnolia, 
Identification. Sims, in Bot. Mag. 
Synonymes. M. obovata Thun., and Don’s Mill. 1. p. 84. 3M. discolor Vent.; M. denudata Lam. ; 
the obovate-leaved Magnolia; Magnolier discoloré Bon. Jard., and Magnolie bicoloré Dun. Frii 
rothe Bieberbaum, Ger. ee 
Engravings. Sal. Par., t. 87.; Bot. Mag., t. 390; and our fig. 45. 
Spec. Char.,§c. Deciduous, Leaves obovate, acute, reticulatel y veined ; almost 
smooth. Flowers erect, of 3 sepals and 6 obovate petals; styles very short. 
(Don’s Mill.) A deciduous shrub, with large dark green foliage. Japan. 
Height 3ft. to 5 ft. Introduced in 1790. Flowers purple outside, white 
within ; March to May. Strobile brownish; ripe in September. Decaying 
leaves black. Naked young wood greenish brown. 
Varieties, 
& ML. p. 2 gricilis. M. Kobus Dec. and G. Don; M. tomentdsa Thun. in 
Lin, Trans. Kempf. Icon., t.42. ; Par. Lon., t. 87. — The two main 
points of difference between it and M. purpurea are, the paler green, 
and somewhat narrower shape, of the leaves; and the longer and 
more slender form of the flower, the points of the petals of which 
are slightly turned back ; while the flower of M. purpurea is more 
cup-shaped, and the petals at the points are rather turned inwards. 
The petals of M. gracilis are on the exterior entirely of a dark purple, 
whereas those of M. purpurea melt off into white at their upper 
extremities. A number of plants of this variety, which stood in the 
Hammersmith Nursery as border shrubs, and flowered freely every 
year, were killed down to the ground in the winter of 1837-8, 
Other Varieties. In DeCandolle’s Prodromus, and in Don’s Miller, three 
varieties are described: M. p. denudata Lam., distinguished by the flower- 
ing branches being without leaves; JZ. p. discolor Vent., which is said to be 
rather more tender thau the species; and J. p. lilifora Lam., the petals of 
which are white on both sides. These varieties were originally described 
by Kempfer; but, as far as we know, none of them are in British gardens, 
Several plants of this species having been raised from seed ripened in this 
country, the plants may exhibit slight shades of difference, as has been the 
case with certain seedlings raised in the Brentford Nursery; but, as far as 
we have observed, none of these are worth keeping distinct. The only 
variety which we consider truly distinct is M p. gracilis, considered as a 
species by Salisbury and other botanists, but 
which, we are convinced, is nothing more than 
a race, or a variety. At Desio, a variety has 
been raised which grows only 14 ft. high, and 
which Signor Cassoretti, the garden director 
there, calls MZ. obovata pumila. 
A deciduous shrub, attaining, in the gardens 
about London, the height of from 4 ft. to 8 ft. in 
as many years, and seldom growing much higher 
asabush. The stems are numerous, but not 
much branched ; the leaves are large, of a very 
dark green ; and the plant. produces a profusion 
of flowers, which do not expand fully till a day 
or two before they drop off; and which, unless 
the weather is warm, do not expand at all, but 
wither on the plant, and disfigure it. The 
flowers are large, more or less purple (according 
to the season, but never wholly dark purple) 
without, and always white within. The bark, 
when bruised, has an aromatic odour. A very 
ornamental species, which no garden ought to be without. This species is 
generally considered as requiring a mixture of heath soil, or sandy peat, with 
loam ; but in many gardens about London it succeeds perfectly both in sand 
D2 
v 
45. Magnélia purpirea. 
