Magnolia macrophylla

Moreton Bay Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) with blossom

The Moreton Bay Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla ) is a plant of the genus Magnolia. It grows as a medium-sized tree of eastern North America, where it is called " bigleaf magnolia ". Both the English and the scientific name refers to the unusually large leaves.

Description

The Moreton Bay magnolia grows as a deciduous tree and reaches stature heights up to 15 meters, in exceptional cases up to 30 meters. Young twigs are hairy yellowish- gray and soft, older branches have a smooth, light gray bark. The branches ramify not often.

The leaves are clustered at the ends of the branches. The leaf shape is broad - elliptic to spatulate, the leaf base is wedge-shaped tapering to heart-shaped, the tip blunt to run or is somewhat pointed. The sheets reach a length of 50 to 110 centimeters and a width of 15 to 45 centimeters. Thus, this plant has the largest undivided leaves all growing in the temperate zones of tree species. The top is green and smooth, underside the leaves are whitish to pale green, sometimes blue frosting and occupied especially along the midrib with white hair. The petiole is five to ten centimeters, stipules are present.

The fragrant flowers can reach a diameter of 35 to 40 centimeters, occasionally up to 50 centimeters. They are individually at the ends of branches. Open from May to two buds of June scale-like bracts, of which the outer is brown hairy. The three outer tepals are reflexed green and wide, the inner six are white and open slowly. The innermost three petals have the basic one red - brown spot. In the center of the flower there are 350-580 white stamens and 50 to 80 stamps. The pin-like inflorescence ( Sammelbalgfrucht ) is round to oval with a diameter of five to ten centimeters. He turns from green to pink - red to brown, at first he is hairy, then smooth when ripe. The seeds are about an inch wide by a bright pink or orange - red seed coat ( aril ) surrounding it.

Dissemination

The Moreton Bay Magnolia is a tree of the deciduous forests of eastern North America, from Ohio and Kentucky as far as Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana in the south. The most common is the tree in the southern and central Mississippi, truly dominant he is, however, nowhere. Most occurrences consist of a few individuals and are isolated.

The locations are moist valleys and ravines at an altitude of 150 to 300 meters. The soils are humus - and nutrient- rich, and the pH is slightly acidic. Extreme documents in any form will not be populated.

Use

This magnolia is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental tree. However, it is quite high demands on the location and does not fit with their size into smaller home gardens. Magnolia macrophylla is only available in rarely available commercially in Europe, in the United States are occasionally some varieties to be seen. Crossings with other magnolias are possible, such as the varieties ' Birgitta Flinck ' and ' Karl Flinck ' from Magnolia macrophylla × Magnolia virginiana.

The Cherokee Indians used the bark as a medicine.

System

Within the genus Magnolia Magnolia macrophylla belongs to the subgenus Magnolia, there in the section macrophylla. Next relatives are Magnolia ashei and Magnolia dealbata, sometimes out as varieties of Magnolia macrophylla. More magnolias that grow in the south-eastern North America and Magnolia macrophylla are close to, are Magnolia fraseri and the umbrella magnolia.

Was named Magnolia macrophylla by André Michaux in 1803, after he had collected himself in 1795 on a trip through the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee.

There are three subspecies or Verietäten that differ not only by a set of unique features, but they also colonize geographically isolated areas, which is why they are considered by some botanists even as distinct species:

• Magnolia macrophylla (Magnolia macrophylla var macrophylla), Moreton Bay Magnolia, southeastern USA, Tree to 20 m, leaves 50-90 cm long, 4-10 cm long fruit with more than 50 carpels. Cultivars: ' Whopper ' ( should have larger leaves and flowers than the type ) and ' Sara Gladney '. USDA Zone 5
• Magnolia ashei (Magnolia macrophylla var ashei ( Weatherby ) D. Johnson), northwestern Florida, bush or small tree up to 12m, leaves 25-60 cm, fruit 4-5 cm long with less than 50 carpels. USDA Zone 6
• Magnolia dealbata (Magnolia macrophylla var dealbata ( Zuccarini ) D. Johnson), Mexico ( Hidalgo to Oaxaca and Veracruz, in cloud forests ), tree to 20 m, leaves 30-60 cm, 8-15 cm long fruit with more than 70 carpels. USDA zone 8