Magnolia virginiana

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 535. 1753.

Common names: Sweet-bay swamp-bay laurier doux
Endemic
Basionym: Magnolia fragrans (Linnaeus) Linnaeus 1817
Synonyms: Magnolia australis Ashe Magnolia australis var. parva (Ashe) Ashe Magnolia glauca Magnolia glauca var. pumila Nuttall Magnolia virginiana subsp. australis (Sargent) E. Murray Magnolia virginiana var. australis Sargent Magnolia virginiana var. glauca Linnaeus Magnolia virginiana var. grisea Linnaeus Magnolia virginiana var. parva Ashe
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs or small trees, evergreen to partly evergreen or deciduous, multitrunked to 10m, or single-trunked to 28 m. Bark dark gray, smooth. Pith diaphragmed. Twigs and foliar buds silky-pubescent, sometimes glabrous. Leaves distinctly alternate, not in terminal whorl-like clusters; stipules 3-5.5 (-6) × 0.3-0.5 cm, abaxially brownish puberulent, red-glandular. Leaf-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 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). Follicetums ellipsoid to nearly globose, 2-5.5 × 1.5-3 cm; follicles short-beaked, glabrous. Seeds somewhat globose to lenticular, 5 mm, aril red. 2n=38.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Swamps, bays, low wet woods, savannahs, chiefly in coastal plain and lower piedmont
Elevation: 0-540 m

Distribution

V3 361-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., La., Md., Mass., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.

Discussion

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).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"lengthofanthers" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Magnolia virginiana"
latrorse +  and introrse +
acuminate +, obtuse +  and acute or rounded +
Frederick G. Meyer +
Linnaeus +
cuneate +
Magnolia fragrans +
Sweet-bay +, swamp-bay +  and laurier doux +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Md. +, Mass. +, Miss. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +  and Va. +
0-540 m +
fragrant +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and silky-pubescent +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
ellipsoid +  and nearly globose +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
coalescent +
Swamps, bays, low wet woods, savannahs, chiefly in coastal plain and lower piedmont +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (22 cm220 mm <br />0.22 m <br />) +
oblong +  and elliptic ovate +
petiolate +  and simple +
silky-pubescent +
Flowering spring. +
sessile +  and stalked +
concrescent +  and free +
diaphragmed +
homogeneous +
indehiscent +
persistent +
annular +
globose;lenticular +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
hypogynous +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
decurrent +
5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
adnate +  and free +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
green +  and chalky white +
silky-pubescent;glabrous;glaucous +
lustrous +  and dull +
Magnolia australis +, Magnolia australis var. parva +, Magnolia glauca +, Magnolia glauca var. pumila +, Magnolia virginiana subsp. australis +, Magnolia virginiana var. australis +, Magnolia virginiana var. glauca +, Magnolia virginiana var. grisea +  and Magnolia virginiana var. parva +
Magnolia virginiana +
Magnolia +
species +
creamy white +
deciduous +
elongate +
glabrous +  and silky-pubescent +
evergreen +  and partly evergreen or deciduous +
tree +  and shrub +