CHAP. HI. 



very large crimson cone, or strobile, containing a great number ofscarlet berries, 

 which, when ripe, spring from their cells, and are, for a time, suspended by a 

 white silky web or thread. The leaves of those trees which grow in a rich 

 humid soil, when fully expanded and at maturity, are frequently above 2 ft. in 

 length, and 6 in. or 8' in. where broadest. I discovered, in the maritime parts 

 of Georgia, particularly on the banks of the Alatamaha, another new species 

 of MagnohVz [M. aur. pyramidata], whose leaves were nearly of the figure of 

 those of this tree ; but they were much less in size, not more than 6 in. or 7 in. 

 in length, and the strobile very small, oblong, sharp-pointed, and of a fine deep 

 crimson colour; but I never saw the flower. These trees grow straight and 

 erect, 30 ft. or more in height, and of a sharp conical form, much resenabling 

 the cucumber tree [M. acuminata] in figure." {Sartram's Travels, p. 338.) 



Geography. This species appears to be confined to a particular part of the 

 AUeghanies, nearly 300 miles from the sea. It is found on the steep banks of 

 the livers which rise in these lofty mountains. It appears to be very sparingly 

 distributed; the distance of 150 miles occurring, in some cases, between the 

 spots where it is to be met with. Michaux says, " I have no where found it so 

 abundant as on. the steepest part of the lofty mountains of North Carolina, 

 particularly those which are called by the inhabitants, Great Father Mountains, 

 and Black and Iron Mountains." The soil of these mountains is brown, deep, 

 and of an excellent quality ; and the tree is found to multiply so fast from seed, 

 that a thousand plants might be collected in a single day. The atmosphere, 

 in such situations, is continually charged with moisture, from the number of 

 torrents which rush down from the summits. 



History, This tree was discovered by Bartram, from whom it was first 

 received in England by Messrs. Loddiges, in 1786. It was, probabl}', soon 

 afterwards sent to France ; because we find Madame Lemonnier, the widow of 

 Michaux's patron and friend, describing a tree of this species in her garden in 

 1800, which was 9 ft. high, and had already flowered. As it is of difficult 

 propagation, it is not very generally distributed ; but it is found in the prin- 

 cipal botanic gardens of the middle of Europe, and in first-rate nurseries. 



Soil^ Situation, S^c. The soil, as we learn from Michaux, ought to be free 

 and deep j and the situation low, sheltered, and moist, rather than dry. As 

 seeds are not very easily procured, the common mode of propagation is by 

 laj^ers, or by inarching on M. acuminata. In both modes, two years are 

 required before the plants can be separated from the parent stock. If the de- 

 mand for plants were adequate, abundance of seeds might, no doubt, be pro- 

 cured from America. 



Statistics. The parent tree is at Messrs. Loddiges. In the Exotic Nursery, 

 King's Road, there is a tree of this species 16 ft. high ; and in the Hammer- 

 smith Nursery there is one 18 ft. high. At Sherwood, one 18 years planted is 

 only 12 ft. high; at White Knights, one 33 years planted is 26 ft, high; and in 

 the Klillerton Nursery, Devonshire, one 8 years planted is 14 ft. high. At 

 Cobham Hall, in Kent, one 17 years planted is 25 ft. high ; in Knap HUl Nm'sery 

 there is a tree 20 ft. high ; and at Barton, in Suffolk, one only 10 years planted 

 which is I9h ft. high. There are trees of this species in Scotland and Ireland, 

 but they are chiefly trained against walls. There are several in the gardens 

 about Paris, and some at Sceaux, which have attained the height of 20 ft. In 

 the botanic garden at Rouen the height is 10 ft. In the botanic garden at 

 Ghent there is a specimen 22 ft. high. In Germany, M. auriculata is either 

 trained against a wall, or treated as a green-house plant. The price of a single 

 plant, about London, is from 7s. Qd. to 21*. ; at Bollwyller, 10 francs ; in New 

 York, 1 dollar. 



^ 8. M. (? AUR.) pyramida"'ta Bartr. The \)yr&va\&?i\-headed Magnolia. 



Identification. Micb. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 328. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 80. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 83. 

 Engravings. Bot. Reg., t. 407. ; E. of PI. 7917. ; and our plate in Vol. II. 



Sj)ec. Char. Deciduous. Leaves smooth, the same colour on both surfaces, 

 spathulate, obovate, cordate at the base. Auricles spreading. Sepals 3, 



X 4 



