MAGNOLIA, 



19 



agreeably scented, whilst Gordon states that they 

 exhale a disagreeable odour. This is fairly abundant 

 in the forests in certain districts of the Southern 

 Alleghanies, and I have myself noted it near Roan 

 Mountain. It forms a slender tree 30 to 40 feet 

 in height with a straight or inclined trunk 12 to 

 1 8 inches in diameter. — Walter, '■'■Flora Caroliniana," 

 p. 159 {tab.') ; Gray, '■'•Manual of the Botany of the 

 Northern United States" p. 49 ; Koch, " Dendrologie," 

 erst. Theil, p. 372. M. auriculata, Lam. Diet., 3, 673 ; 

 Michx., " Flora Boreali- Americana ," 1,328 ; " Nou- 

 veau Duhamel," 2, 222 ; Andrews, " Botanical Reposi- 

 tory," 9, tab. 573 ; "■Botanical Magazine," tab. 1206 ; 

 Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit., 1,276, t. 10. M. auricu- 

 laris, Salisbury, " Paradisus Londinensis," tab. 43 ; 

 Sargent, " Silva of North America," tt. 11, 12. 



The Laurel Magnolia or Sweet Bay 



(M. glauca). — The former of the two English names 

 above quoted seems the best suited for English 

 readers, as with us the latter, under which this 

 charming species is known in the United States, is 

 applied to a totally different plant, viz., Laurus 

 nobilis. White Bay is another of its American 

 names, but Laurel Magnolia, one of the names 

 adopted by Dr. Asa Gray in his " Manual," seems 

 distinctive and definite enough to answer all pur- 

 poses. M. glauca is certainly a very handsome shrub, 

 with oblong or somewhat oval leathery leaves, light 

 bluish-green above and silvery below, and delight- 

 fully fragrant globular flowers, which open a rich 

 cream colour and gradually acquire a pale apricot hue. 

 In damp, sheltered places the plant is sub-evergreen, 

 but in drier and more exposed spots deciduous. 

 The bark of the young shoots is a rich apple-green, 

 that of the older branches glaucous or whitish. In 

 its native localities it sometimes attains a height of 

 from 50 to 70 feet, with a trunk 2 or 3 feet, or 

 under exceptionally favourable conditions 3^ feet, in 

 diameter ; in the north it is reduced to a low shrub. 

 In August, in its native localities, the red fruit cones 

 contrasting with the shining glossy leaves produce 

 a fine effect — it is then even showier than when in 

 flower. It is found in swamps throughout Essex 

 County, Massachusetts, and from Queen's County, 

 Long Island, to Louisiana and Southern Arkansas, 

 generally near the coast. The roots yield a yellow 

 dye. According to Emerson, the plant affords a 

 good tonic and warm stimulant and diaphoretic, and 

 has been used with great success in chronic rheuma- 

 tism, in intermittent fevers, and particularly in fever 

 and ague. — Linn., " Species Plantarum," 2 ed., 755 ; 

 Lam. Diet., 674; Michaux, "Flora Boreali-Americana," 

 i., 237 ; " Nouveau Duhamel," 2, 233, tab. 66 ; Bon. 

 pi. PL Malm., 103, tab. 42 ; Michx. fil., " Arbres 

 Forestiers de V Amerique Septentrionale," 3,77, tab. 2 ; 

 Loddiges " Botanical Cabinet" 215; Loudon Arb. et 

 Frut. Brit., 1,267, tt. 3 and 4 ; Gray, " Manual of the 



Botany of the Northern United States," 49 ; Koch, 

 " Dendrologie," erst. Theil, 369 ; Emerson, " Trees and 

 Shrubs of Massachusetts" {ed. 1875), 603 ; Sargent, 

 " Si ha of North America," t. 3. 



Var. pumila is a dwarf variety, not exceeding 

 3 or 4 feet in height ; found in East Florida. — 

 Nuttall in "American Journal of Science," v., 295. 



The great Laurel Magnolia (M. grandi- 

 flord). — Unfortunately, this stately tree is not able 

 to withstand severe winters, by which the patience 

 of many cultivators of out-door plants is so sorely 

 tried. Even in the south of England it is safer to 

 treat the great Laurel Magnolia as a wall plant. 

 There are few more noble and imposing subjects 

 when allowed sufficient space, and the front of a 

 goodly house clothed with the glossy deep green 

 leaves and the large, handsome, scented white flowers 

 of this species is not a sight to be easily forgotten. 

 In the Bull Bay, as it is sometimes called, the tem- 

 perate countries of the world have the most beautiful 

 evergreen tree known in gardens. It has been sug- 

 gested as a " national flower " for the United States, 

 and its claims to such an honour urged by more 

 than one writer. Mr. Burrell gave me, in 1883, the 

 measurements of the finest specimen at Claremont, 

 viz., 24 feet in height, with a stem 3 feet 2 inches 

 in circumference at \\ feet from the ground. M. 

 grandiflora is a native of the Southern United States, 

 and was introduced to this country about 1737. An 

 extract is given in " Hortus Collinsonianus," from 

 a letter written from Georgia, by John Bartram to 

 Collinson : " The great Laurel-leaved Magnolia 

 grows 100 feet high, and 3 or 4 feet in diameter." 

 Collinson adds, " What a noble sight ! " In The 

 Garden,Vol. II., p. 205, there is an interesting article, 

 as well as an illustration, of " Magnolia grandiflora 

 at Home." — Linn., Sp. Plant., 2 ed., 755 ; Bartram, 

 " Travels" 85 ; Michaux, "Flora Boreali-Americana," 

 1, 327; " Nouveau Duhamel," 2, 219, tab. 65 ; 

 Andrews, "Botanical Repository," 8, tab. 518 ; Mi- 

 chaux fil., "Arbres Forestiers de I Amerique Septentrio- 

 nale," 3, 71, tab. 1 ; Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit., 1, 

 261, tab. 1, 2 ; Koch, "Dendrologie," erst. Theil, p. 

 367. M.fetida, Sargent, "Silva of North America," 

 tt. 1, 2. 



Var. angustifolia. — The foliage of this is 

 very distinct, being lanceolate, tapering to both ends, 

 with wavy edges. It was introduced to this country 

 from the Continent nearly sixty years ago, but I have 

 seen no large specimens. — Var. salicifolia, Hort. ; var. 

 Hartzvegi, Hort. 



Var. ferruginea. — This differs from the pre- 

 ceding in having rather broader leaves and larger 

 flowers, and in forming a broader and more compact 

 tree or bush ; by some authorities, too, it is stated 

 to be a good deal hardier, having withstood winters 

 which have proved fatal to var. lanceolata. 



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