POPULAR FLORA. 
117 
2. MAGNOLIA FAMILY. Order MAGNOLIACEiE. 
Trees or shrubs, with aromatic or strong-scented and bitter bark, and alternate simple 
leaves, which are never toothed; large, thin stipules form the covering of the buds, but 
fall off early. Flowers large, single at the ends of the branches; their leaves in threes, 
viz. 3 sepals colored like the petals, and 6 petals in two ranks or 9 in three ranks, their 
margins overlapping in the bud. Stamens very many, on the receptacle, with long anthers 
occupying, as it were, the side of the filament. Pistils many, packed and partly grown 
together one above the other, so as 257 
to make a sort of cone in fruit. — 
We have only two genera. 
1. Stipules flat, not adhering to the 
leafstalk. Petals 6, greenish-or¬ 
ange. Filaments slender. Pistils 
overlying each other and grown to¬ 
gether to make a spindle-shaped 
cone, dry when ripe, and sepa¬ 
rating into a sort of key-fruit. 
Leaves somewhat 3-lobed, and as 
if cut off at the end. One species 
only is known, the 
(Liriodendron Tulijnfera) Tulip-tree. 
2. Stipules making a round and pointed 
bud, adhering to the lower part of 
the leaf-stalk. Petals 6 to 9. Fil¬ 
aments below the anther very short. 
Cone of fruit rose-red and fleshy" 
when ripe, the pistils opening on 
the back, the scarlet fleshy-coated 
seeds hanging by delicate and very 
elastic threads, Magnolia. 
258 256 
256. Small Laurel-Magnolia. 257. A stamen magnified. 253. Its cone of fruit, 
the seeds hanging as they drop. 
Magnolia* Magnolia. 
Our wild species divide into Laurel-Magnolias, Cucumber-trees, and Umbrella-trees. 
§ 1. LAUREL-MAGNOLIAS. Leaves thick, evergreen at the South; leaf-buds silky; flowers rather 
globe-shaped, appearing through the summer, white, very fragrant 
1. Great LaureltMagnolia. Tree with leaves deep-green and shining above, rusty beneath when 
young; flower very large. S. It has stood the winter as far north as Philadelphia. M. grandiflora. 
2. Small Laurel-M. (or White Bay). Shrub or small tree; leaves oblong, whitish beneath; flower 
about 2' broad. Swamps. E. & S. M. glauca. 
§ 2. CUCUMBER-TREES. Leaves thin, scattered along the branches, a little downy beneath, buds 
silky; flowers not sweet-scented, nor showy, nor very large, appearing in spring. 
3. Common Cucumber-M. A tall tree; leaves oval or oblong, pointed; flowers greenish; young fruit 
resembling a very small cucumber. Common W. M. acuminata. 
