Flora of North America species comparison

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Magnolia tripetala

Magnolia pyramidata

umbrella magnolia, umbrella-tree

pyramid magnolia
Habit Trees, deciduous, often multitrunked, to 15 m. Bark gray, smooth. Trees, deciduous, single-trunked, to 11.9 m. Bark gray, smooth.
Twigs

and foliar buds glabrous.

and foliar buds glabrous.
Leaves

blade elliptic-oblong to narrowly obovate, or oblanceolate, (10-)26-57(-70) × (7.2-)10-30 cm, thin, broadest near middle, base cuneate to long-tapered, apex very short to long-acuminate or abruptly acute, rarely apiculate;

surfaces abaxially densely pilose, especially on midvein, adaxially green, glabrous.

blade predominantly pandurate to broadly rhombic-spatulate, broadest above middle, abruptly tapering to base, 18-25(-30) × 7.8-14 cm, base deeply cordate to auriculate, or somewhat truncate, apex acute to short-acuminate;

surfaces abaxially glaucous, glabrous, adaxially dull deep green.
Flowers

malodorous, 5.5-11 cm across; spathaceous bracts 2, abaxially glandular;

tepals spreading, creamy white, outermost whorl sepaloid, reflexed, greenish;

stamens 81-103(-115), 8-17 mm;

filaments purple;

pistils (45-)53-66(-73).

fragrant, 12-18 cm across; spathaceous bracts 2, abaxially glandular;

tepals creamy white;

stamens 83-137(-150), 4.5-8(-10.5) mm;

filaments white;

pistils 36-60.
Seeds

lenticular to nearly ovoid, 9-12 mm, aril deep pink to red.

lenticular, 7-8 mm, aril red.
Pith

homogeneous.

homogeneous.
Follicetums

cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, 6-10 × 2-3.5 cm;

follicles long-beaked, glabrous.

ellipsoid, 4-6 × 2.5-3.5 cm, glabrous;

follicles recurved, short-beaked, glabrous.
2n

=38.

=38.

Magnolia tripetala

Magnolia pyramidata
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Rich woods and ravines, mainly in uplands, rarely coastal plain Rich woods and river bluffs, mostly coastal plain, sometimes lower piedmont
Elevation 0-1065m (0-3500ft) 0-120m (0-400ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IN; KY; MD; MS; NC; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Virginia Magnolia tripetala is a disjunct in the coastal plain.

The malodorous flowers of Magnolia tripetala are uniquely associated with this species. The tree is occasionally cultivated. Both filiform and flagelliform trichomes occur on the leaves. Sometimes cylindric trichomes also occur.

The largest known tree of Magnolia tripetala, 15.2m in height with a trunk diameter of 87 cm, is recorded from Bucks County, Pennsylvania (American Forestry Association 1994).

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

Confined largely to the coastal plain, Magnolia pyramidata differs from the allopatric M. fraseri in being a smaller tree with a narrower, pyramidal habit; M. pyramidata is very local and nowhere abundant. Morphologically, M. pyramidata differs from M. fraseri in the pandurate leaf blades, smaller flowers and stipules, fewer stamens and pistils, and smaller follicetums. Magnolia pyramidata is occasionally cultivated, but it is less hardy than M. fraseri.

The largest known tree of Magnolia pyramidata, 11.9m in height with a trunk diameter of 69 cm, is recorded from Newton County, Texas (American Forestry Association 1994).

(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. acuminata, M. ashei, M. fraseri, M. grandiflora, M. macrophylla, M. pyramidata, M. virginiana
M. acuminata, M. ashei, M. fraseri, M. grandiflora, M. macrophylla, M. tripetala, M. virginiana
Synonyms M. virginiana var. (d) tripetala, Kobus tripetala, M. frondosa, M. umbrella, M. umbrella var. tripetala M. auriculata var. pyramidata, M. fraseri subsp. pyramidata, M. fraseri var. pyramidata, M. macrophylla var. pyramidata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1082. (1759) W. Bartram: Travels Carolina, 408. (1791)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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