The Trees of Texas 103 
leaves. The sepals are green, broadly ovate; the six petals 
are green at first but soon become maroon color. Fruit cylin- 
drical, somewhat curved, about 2147-5’ long, green becoming 
vellow, finally brown. The flesh is sweet and edible and the 
fruit lias been recently called the ‘‘Hoosier banana.’’ 
Southern Ontario, east to Pennsylvania, south to the Gulf 
States and west to Kansas and Texas. In Texas it extends to 
the valley of the Sabine River. 
The wood is soft, Hight, and coarse grained. The supply 
is s¢ small that it has no economic importance for timber. 
The fruit is edible and the tree is adapted for ornamental 
planting within its native range. It prefers deep rich moist 
soil. 
MAGNOLIACEAE St. Hilaire. The Magnolia Family. 
Trees with aiternate simple, entire, large leaves and bitter, 
aromatic bark. The flowers are large, perfect, solitary, 
terminal. The fruit is a cone-like aggregate. 
Leaf blades thick, leathery, persistent, with brown, 
ih heel MRO er os Saw oe oes bee's ene be M. foetida. 
Leaf blades membranous, smooth or silky beneath... M. Virginiana. 
1. Magnolia foetida (l..) Sargent. Bull Bay. Laurel. A 
large cone-shaped tree 60°-80° high and 4°-5° in diameter, 
with short branches, and rough, light brown, scaly bark 
1,’-34’ thick. Leaves evergreen, firm, leathery, bright glossy 
green above, duller and covered beneath with rusty hairs, 
5’-8’ long, 2’-3’ wide with prominent ribs and veins. Fruit 
ovate or oval 3’-4’ long, 114’-214’ wide, flattened some- 
what and covered with hair. 
In river swamps and near ponds. North Carolina, south 
to Florida and westward to Arkansas and Texas. In Texas 
it extends to the Brazos valley. 
The wood is rather hard and used to a very limited extent 
only for timber. The tree is planted for ornamanet and is 
highty prized throughout its range. 
2. Magnolia Virginiana L. Sweet Bay. White Bay. 
Swamp Bay. A slender tree reaching a maximum height of 
90°-70° with trunk diameter of 2° to 316°, bat usually small- 
