Magnolia grandiflora

Evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora )

The Sweet Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ) is a plant of the genus Magnolia (Magnolia ) within the family Magnoliaceae ( Magnoliaceae ). It grows as a evergreen tree in the southeast of North America, where it is often cultivated as an ornamental plant and is considered a characteristic plant of the southern states. There it is "southern magnolia " or simply called " magnolia ".

• 6.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaf

The Evergreen magnolia is an evergreen tree, reaching heights of growth of about 25 meters, in exceptional cases more than 35 meters. The bark of young twigs and buds are densely hairy, older branches, however, have a bald, thin, gray bark that is on branches and trunks to a thick, aufreißenden in plates bark. The crown is broad and round, the branches are little branched. Seedlings first develop a taproot, at the age these Magnolia species is a heart-rooting.

The significantly alternate arranged leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The simple, relatively thick and leathery leaf blade is at a length of usually 13 to 20 (7.5 to 26) inches and a width of usually 6 to 10 ( 4.5 to 12.5 ) centimeters narrow to broadly elliptic or upside - lanceolate, with narrow wedge-shaped Spreitenbasis and at the upper end pointed up pointed or short Träufelspitze, rarely dull. The lower leaf surface is densely red - brown haired or bald. The upper leaf surface is bare and shiny, bright - green. The two free adjacent leaves are 4.5 to 13 inches long and hairy 1.5 to 3.5 inches wide and hand tight, silky brown; sometimes they are deeply notched.

Generative features

The pure white and fragrant flowers are among the largest tree blossoms at all. They are 15 to 30 inches wide, especially read varieties reach 45 cm diameter flowers. They appear from April to June, distributed over a period of several weeks over the summer one always sees individual flowers. The flower buds are enveloped by two hairy bracts. The bloom is off-white. The three outer bracts are small, greenish and repulsed, followed by further six to twelve inner bracts. In the center of the flower there are 200 to 400 stamens with purple stamens, and 50 to 80 stamps.

The pomes ( Follicetum ) are cylindrically shaped to oval, 7-10 cm long and 3-4 inches wide. Their color is brownish, they are soft-hairy. The seeds are about an inch tall, with red seed coat ( aril ), lens-shaped to roundish. At maturity, the individual follicles open and the seeds hang for a short time out on thin filaments of the fruit. The epigeal germination takes place at the earliest in the following year.

The chromosome number is 2n = 114, so they are hexaploid.

Ecology

The Evergreen magnolia grows in evergreen to deciduous hardwood forests. Other types of plants that are commonly found there, Fagus grandifolia are, sweetgum, tulip tree, the oak species Quercus falcata, and Q. alba, and the Hickory Carya tomentosa and Carya glabra species. In the undergrowth are found Bloom Dogwood, Euonymus americanus, and the spindle tree Myrica cerifera. The forests are rich in lianas, epiphytes some occur ( Tillandsia usneoides ).

The seedlings have the ability to grow well in the shade under a closed canopy. For the Sweet Magnolia is no pioneer plant, but a representative of the long term undisturbed forests. Mature trees survive fire very well and also have the option from the roots of newly cast out, if the above-ground plant parts were destroyed. Strongly influenced by fire woods in the distribution area however to be more populated by pine trees, the evergreen magnolia wanders into such areas, if the person provides for protection against forest fires.

The flowers are mainly visited by beetles, the seeds are often eaten by gray squirrels and opossums, as well as the wild turkey, quail and other birds.

Occurrence

The Sweet Magnolia comes from the south-eastern North America. It thrives in the coastal lowlands along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Most sites are located below altitudes of 60 meters, it rarely rises to 150 meters. In the Northeast their area reaches up to North Carolina, in the southwest to Texas. In the southwest, it is the most common, so in the Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. The climate is warm - temperate to subtropical, temperatures rarely fall below -10 ° C. The annual rainfall is quite high at 1000 to 1500 mm, only in the far west of its range it comes to summer droughts.

The locations of the evergreen magnolia are preferably in river valleys or near swamps. Permanent waterlogging is not tolerated, flood, even temporarily. The soil must be well drained and rich in nutrients, the pH is in the acidic range.

System

The first publication of Magnolia grandiflora was made in 1759 by Carl Linnaeus in Systema Naturae, Editio Decima 2, 1082 .. The specific epithet grandiflora means " large flowers ".

The Magnolia grandiflora Magnolia belongs to the section of the subgenus Magnolia within the genus Magnolia. Next relatives are a number of other North and Central American Magnolia species, such as the Magnolia virginiana. About the distribution area, there is considerable variation, especially in the form and pubescence of the leaves.

Use

Especially in the natural habitat, but also in other parts of the world, the Sweet Magnolia is planted as ornamental tree. In the southern United States, it is common to see the most famous Magnolia and in parks, in Louisiana and Mississippi is " state tree". Although it is less hardy than the tulip magnolia, but in mild regions, they can be planted. In southern Europe they are often found in parks and gardens. For these purposes, a number of varieties has been read:

• ' Bracken 's Brown Beauty' - leaves and flowers very small plant with a dense pyramidal crown, one of the hardiest varieties.
• ' Edith Bogue ' - Little Tree, also very hardy.
• ' Exmouth ' - very old variety, detectable since 1737. Thin crown and narrow leaves, available in Europe in the trade.
• ' Galissonière ' - Pyramidal crown, large flowers and good winter hardiness. One of the few available in Europe varieties, known since 1745. Auspflanzversuche in Hardiness Zone 7b in recent years have been successful. A winter protection should however be attached possibly at lower term peratures.
• 'Little Gem' - Compact, small plants, leaves and flowers quite small. Sensitive to frost.
• 'Victoria' - Makes small, compact trees, is from Canada and is also very winterhart.Vermutlich Hardiness Zone 7b.

Some intersections with the evergreen magnolia as a partner were performed, but the same intersections between this kind hexaploid (6n = 114) and other diploid species ( 2n = 38 ) almost entirely of the former. Attempts pink in this way or yellow flowering to achieve evergreen plants failed.

• " Freeman hybrids ", a series of crosses between Magnolia grandiflora × M. virginiana, 1930 by Oliver M. Freeman at the U.S. National Arboretum performed.
• ' Shirley Curry ' - M. coco × M. grandiflora

For the Blumenbinderei the leaves, life should be without wilting, used.

The wood is hard and heavy, it is often used in furniture making.

The Choctaw and Koasati Indians used the bark as a medicine.

Swell

• D. J. Callaway: The World of Magnolias. Timber Press, Portland Or 1994 S.98ff. ISBN 0-88192-236-6
• Template: Internet resource / maintenance / access date is not in the ISO FormatM. Cola Donato: Magnolia grandiflora. In: Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, accessed on 24 Aug. 2009.
• Frederick Gustav Meyer: Magnoliaceae. Magnolia grandiflora - text the same online as printed work, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee ( eds.): Flora of North America North of Mexico, Volume 3 - Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae, Oxford University Press, New York among other things, 1997 ISBN. 0-19-511246-6.
• K. W. Outcalt: Southern Magnolia. In: R. M. Burns, B. H. Honkala (eds.): Silvics of North America. Bd 2 Hardwoods. Agriculture Handbook. Bd 654 U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Washington DC 1990.