HAGNOLI A F.XCELSA. 
the leaves of the corolla and calyx soon drop off together with the stamina, leaving 
the ovaria quite naked ; these in the course of five or siv mouths become ripe capsules, 
disposed in large purple erect cones, which contrast elegantly with the scarlet seeds 
suspended on white, capillary, longish threads and hanging down loosely in all direc¬ 
tions. The dark, elegant and thick foliage contributes to render the sight extremely 
agreeable. It is only during the winter months, from November to February, that the 
tree is altogether naked. The stipulation or gemmation is remarkable and belongs, as 
lias already been noticed, to all the members of the family. The buds are axillary and 
terminal, long, subcvlindric, inserted round the branch and on the protuberance which 
occupies the half of the petiol; at first there is no leal at all, but gradually a small ele¬ 
vation becomes observable on the back of the bud, just above its base, which quickly 
grows out, becoming the upper part of the petiol and at length expanding into a leaf; 
the bud itself in the mean time rapidly increases in length and width, together with 
the tender branch which it encloses, and at length it splits along the outside and drops 
off in the form of two stipules, leaving behind it a circular, either horizontal or more 
or less oblique vestige of its insertion on the branch, and a Hat lengthened prominence 
on the petiol, reaching from its base to above the middle. 
I have only seen this tree in abundance at Sankoo in the valley of Nipal; on Sheopore 
it grows very sparingly. Its wood is of a pale yellow colour, close-grained, and proba¬ 
bly very applicable for carpenters use ; it is however not employed by the hill people, 
who, I am sorry to sav, care little about cutting down the most glorious trees of their 
country, such as the Khododendrums, even for the most trivial purpose of fuel and rafters. 
The present species unites the two sections of the genus as doubtfull y proposed by 
De Candolle, loe. cit, p. 4o0. The fruit is densely imbricated, strobiliform, with 
pendulous seeds, and the spatbe is one-leaved as in the American species; but the de¬ 
hiscence of the anthers is decidedly interior like those of Asia. For reasons, which 
1 shall explain in treating of M. exeelsa, 1 think, that all the spike-fruited species might 
conveniently he removed to Michelia; of their number is M. fuscata, which I have had 
au opportunity of examining in October 1013, when it ripened its fruit lor the first time 
in the llonourblc Company's botanic garden and of which I take this opportunity of 
giving a carpological account. 
Capsula* ovatapj lateribus gibboso-convexis, oblique acutae, punctis parvis collosis as¬ 
perse, magniiudinis bacca? Grossularim minoris, cinerascentes, sessiles, patentes, decern 
vel plures, baud paucis abortivis parvulis intermixtae, disposing in spicamoblongAni bine, 
inde curvam, Iripolltcarem, fructuni Michelire plane referentem, pedunculatam. lalculu f 
divaricatie, platio-concavse, intus rugoste, nitidte. Semen unicuni, coccineum, ovatum, 
parum obliquum, loculo exacte correspoudens, basi iimbilicatum, mox post dehiscen- 
tiam extra suam eavitatem funiculo serieeo laxo dependens.—Nucula, embryoque in¬ 
versus exacte lit in Magnolia insigni. 
It is not a little surprizing that, according to the accurate Gaertncr the embryo of Jf. 
grandi/lora , Linn, is erect, Carpol. 1. p. 343. t. 70 : w hereas it is unquestionably inverse 
w ith a superior radicle in the three species which I have examined. 
Before concluding I may remark, that I have found a few individuals in the forests 
of Nipal, of a tree, which I hesitate not pronouncing to be Roxburgh's Liriodendron 
grtmdi/lora, notwithstanding I have only observed them in foliage. This noble tree 
blossoms annually at the botanic garden, but has not as yet ripened its fruit; the stipu¬ 
lation of the family is peculiarly beautifully illustrated by this species. 
MAGNOLIA EXCELSA, Wall. TAB. 2 
Aiborea, foliis oblongo-ellipticis, acumiuatis, subtus valde glaucis; alabastris gemmis- 
n 
