3l6 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
gardens in the West of England it may be described as one of the 
finest evergreen trees. Both at Coombe Wood and at Kew it flowered 
in 1908, but on walls. The flowers, which measure 7 to 8 inches across, 
are cup-shaped and creamy white. They are peculiarly short-lived, 
seldom exceeding forty-eight hours, and the scent is so strong as to 
be considered offensive by many. 
Compared with the evergreen the deciduous species and varieties 
of Magnolia are numerous. 
In the early days of the cultivation of Magnolias many plants of 
M. conspicua and M. x Soulangeana were planted on the walls of man- 
sions or houses, and now have heights of 25 to 30 feet and a spread of 
20 feet and more, thus hiding many an ugly wall and giving the house 
a good appearance, especially when the tree is clothed with hundreds 
of blooms. But the right place for the large-growing forms is un- 
doubtedly the park or garden where they have room to develop, and 
if in positions sheltered from east winds they are conspicuously 
beautiful when in bloom. There are many fine trees in the West of 
England — particularly one in the centre of the City of Exeter, and 
another in a garden at Pl5niipton, S. Devon, 20 feet high and at least 
ninety years old — but fine trees are also to be found at Kew and its 
neighbourhood, and in Hertfordshire. Both are perfectly hardy, but 
the flowers which often develop as early as February or March are 
sometimes damaged by frosts or cold winds, but as this does not 
happen every season the trees are still well worth cultivating. 
M. conspicua, the Yulan, is a deciduous tree introduced from 
China in 1789. It flowers from February to May and attains a height 
of 20 to 30 feet. There are many forms caUed by the name " con- 
spicua," some having white flowers with narrow petals, while in 
others they are bell-shaped but with a rose flush at the base. The 
true form, and certainly the best, has large bell-shaped flowers (very 
different from the general run of Magnolias), and these flowers are 
pure white without the least tinge of rose (fig. 187). The form with 
a rose flush at the base is also a beautiful thing and well worthy of 
cultivation. It might be known in horticulture as M. conspicua rosea, 
to distinguish it from the true white variety. 
M. conspicua Brozzoni, with large white flowers slightly tinted a 
tender violet, is a favourite Continental form. 
M. conspicua amabilis is another pure white variety, with small 
. flowers with very narrow petals. 
M. conspicua alba superba is a pure white form and well worthy of 
cultivation ; it makes a pretty plant for the garden. Its petals are 
narrow and the flowers comparatively small. 
M. obovata (purpurea) forms a bush of loose habit. It was introduced 
from Japan in 1790 and grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet. It is a very 
hardy shrub and grows very successfully near London. The flowers 
are deep purple outside, often striped with white, and white inside. 
The gem of this class is undoubtedly M. Campbelli, with glorious 
