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cucumber-tree

laurier doux, swamp-bay, sweet-bay, sweetbay magnolia

Habit Trees, deciduous, single-trunked, to 30 m. Shrubs or small trees, evergreen to partly evergreen or deciduous, multitrunked to 10m, or single-trunked to 28 m.
Bark

dark gray, furrowed.

dark gray, smooth.

Twigs

and foliar buds silvery-pubescent.

and foliar buds silky-pubescent, sometimes glabrous.

Leaves

blade broadly ovate-elliptic, oblong to oblong-obovate, rarely somewhat rotund, (5-)10-25(-40) × 4-15(-26) cm, base cuneate to truncate or broadly rounded, often somewhat oblique, apex acuminate;

surfaces abaxially pale green to whitish, pilose to nearly glabrous, adaxially green, glabrous or rarely scattered pilose.

blade oblong to elliptic, ovate to obovate, 6-22 × 2.6-7 cm, somewhat leathery, base cuneate, apex obtuse to acute or rounded to somewhat acuminate;

surfaces abaxially chalky white to glaucous, glabrous or densely silky-pubescent, adaxially dull green to lustrous.

Flowers

slightly aromatic, 6-9 cm across; spathaceous bracts 2, abaxially silky-pubescent;

tepals erect, strongly glaucous to greenish or sometimes yellow to orange-yellow, outermost tepals reflexed, much shorter, green;

stamens (50-)60-122(-139), 5-13 mm;

filaments white;

pistils (35-)40-45(-60).

fragrant, 5-8 cm across; spathaceous bracts 2, outer bract abaxially silky-pubescent, inner bract nearly glabrous, red-glandular;

tepals creamy white, red-glandular, outermost segments reflexed, greenish;

stamens (32-)63-90(-102), 5.5-11 mm;

filaments white;

pistils (9-)19-33(-50).

Seeds

heart-shaped, somewhat flattened to somewhat globose, 9-10 mm, smooth, aril reddish orange.

somewhat globose to lenticular, 5 mm, aril red.

Pith

homogeneous.

diaphragmed.

Follicetums

oblong-cylindric, often asymmetric, 2-7 × 0.8-2.7 cm;

follicles short-beaked, glabrous.

ellipsoid to nearly globose, 2-5.5 × 1.5-3 cm;

follicles short-beaked, glabrous.

2n

=76.

=38.

Magnolia acuminata

Magnolia virginiana

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Rich woods, slopes, and ravines, often along streams Swamps, bays, low wet woods, savannahs, chiefly in coastal plain and lower piedmont
Elevation 0–1400 m (0–4600 ft) 0-540 m (0-1800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV; ON
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from FNA
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA
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Discussion

The vernacular name, cucumber-tree, alludes to the resemblance of the follicetum to the young fruit of cucumber. It is the only magnolia species in the flora that occurs naturally in Canada.

Studies of Magnolia acuminata have failed to reconcile the nature of variation in this widespread species. In an attempt to settle differences in variation patterns, J.W. Hardin (1954) recognized four infraspecific taxa in M. acuminata. Later (1972, 1989) Hardin abandoned his earlier views for a more conservative stance, stating that variation in M. acuminata lacked any consistent pattern or geographic correlation. This is the view taken here–no infraspecific taxa are accepted for M. acuminata at this time. Its flowers are normally greenish and glaucous or sometimes yellow to orange-yellow, less showy than those of other magnolias in the flora. In southern areas, trees with yellow to orange-yellow flowers (originally described by Michaux as M. cordata) occur in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and perhaps elsewhere, together with trees that bear normal greenish flowers. Both filiform and flagelliform trichomes occur on the leaves; cylindric trichomes also occur.

Magnolia acuminata is of value to horticulturists because no other species of the genus has yellow tepals. Magnolia acuminata contains major quantities of xanthophyll lutein-5,6-epoxide and, in smaller amounts, acarotene-5,6-epoxide. Although this carotenoid occurs randomly throughout populations of M. acuminata, often it is masked by chlorophyll and not visibly expressed. Sometimes the carotenoid pigment shows through, as in the hybrid M. acuminata × M. denudata 'Elizabeth'. In that cross the M. acuminata parent tree was a nondescript plant with greenish flowers; yet out of this hybrid came 'Elizabeth', a stunning plant with light canary yellow flowers, a result completely unexpected. A thorough field study of M. acuminata is clearly warranted, and further investigation of the carotenoid flower pigments is needed to clarify the taxonomy of this widespread tree.

The largest known tree of Magnolia acuminata, 29.6m in height with a trunk diameter of 1.26m, is recorded from a specimen cultivated in Waukon, Iowa (American Forestry Association 1994).

The Cherokee and Iroquois tribes used Magnolia acuminata, largely the bark, as an analgesic, antidiarrheal, gastrointestinal aid, anthelmintic, toothache remedy, and for various other uses (D.E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The most widely distributed species of Magnolia in the flora, M. virginiana occurs in two growth forms: deciduous and often multitrunked northward, and typically single-trunked and evergreen in the southern range. Where these forms overlap geographically in North Carolina and adjacent areas, intergradation occurs, and the identification of these intergrades is difficult, if not impossible. It has been impossible to pinpoint their occurrence in the zone of overlap. Herbarium specimens cannot be trusted to resolve this dilemma. Both filiform and flagelliform trichomes occur on the leaves, but these are without taxonomic significance. Some investigators have treated these habital variants as geographic varieties or as subspecies, but infraspecific taxa are not recognized here. Without other defining characteristics and no clear geographic correlation, infraspecific taxa have little significance or taxonomic value in M. virginiana. A thorough field study is needed to clarify the taxonomy of this otherwise well-known plant.

Magnolia virginiana is widely cultivated. It was the first magnolia known in Europe, dating from 1688 in England. A few cultivars of both the deciduous and evergreen forms are now grown in cultivation. Magnolia virginiana is a parent of several hybrids, including the first known magnolia hybrid, M.× thompsoniana (Loudon) C. de Vos (=M. virginiana × M. tripetala), dating to 1808. Other hybrids include the so-called Freeman hybrids of M. grandiflora × M. virginiana and M. virginiana × M. hypoleuca with its cultivar 'Nimbus'.

The largest known tree of Magnolia virginiana (the evergreen form), 28m in height with a trunk diameter of 1.4m, is recorded from Union County, Arkansas (American Forestry Association 1994).

The Houma and Rappahannock tribes used decoctions of leaves, twigs, and bark of Magnolia virginiana to treat colds and chills, to warm the blood, and as a hallucinogen (D.E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Magnoliaceae > Magnolia Magnoliaceae > Magnolia
Sibling taxa
M. ashei, M. fraseri, M. grandiflora, M. macrophylla, M. pyramidata, M. tripetala, M. virginiana
M. acuminata, M. ashei, M. fraseri, M. grandiflora, M. macrophylla, M. pyramidata, M. tripetala
Synonyms M. virginiana var. (e) acuminata, Kobus acuminata, M. acuminata var. alabamensis, M. acuminata var. aurea, M. acuminata subsp. cordata, M. acuminata var. cordata, M. acuminata var. ludoviciana, M. acuminata var. ozarkensis, M. acuminata var. subcordata, M. cordata, Tulipastrum acuminatum, Tulipastrum acuminatum var. aureum, Tulipastrum acuminatum var. flavum, Tulipastrum acuminatum var. ludovicianum, Tulipastrum acuminatum var. ozarkense, Tulipastrum americanum, Tulipastrum americanum var. subcordatum, Tulipastrum cordatum M. australis, M. australis var. parva, M. fragrans, M. glauca, M. glauca var. pumila, M. virginiana subsp. australis, M. virginiana var. australis, M. virginiana var. glauca, M. virginiana var. grisea, M. virginiana var. parva
Name authority (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1082. (1759) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 535. (1753)
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