Magnolia virginiana

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Sweetbay magnolia
Magnolia virginiana flower 2.jpg
Magnolia virginiana var. australis flower, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, accession #1275-80*A
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae
Genus: Magnolia
Section: Magnolia sect. Magnolia
Species:
M. virginiana
Binomial name
Magnolia virginiana
L.
Magnolia virginiana range map 3.png

Magnolia virginiana, most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay (also laurel magnolia, swampbay, swamp magnolia, white bay, or beaver tree), [3] is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be scientifically described under modern rules of botanical nomenclature, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants (magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants.

Contents

Taxonomy

Magnolia virginiana was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus.

Description

Mark Catesby (1731), Natural History of Carolina etc., plate 39, with Magnolia lauri folio, subtus albicante, the Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana) and Coccothraustes coeruleus, the Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea). Catesby Natural History of Carolina plate 39 Magnolia virginiana and Blue Grosbeak.jpg
Mark Catesby (1731), Natural History of Carolina etc., plate 39, with Magnolia lauri folio, subtus albicante, the Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana) and Coccothraustes coeruleus, the Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea).

Magnolia virginiana is an evergreen or deciduous tree to 30 m (100 ft) tall, native to the lowlands and swamps of the Atlantic coastal plain of the eastern United States, from Florida to Long Island, New York. Whether it is deciduous or evergreen depends on climate; it is evergreen in areas with milder winters in the south of its range (zone 7 southward), and is semi-evergreen or deciduous further north. The leaves are alternate, simple (not lobed or pinnate), with entire margins, 6–12 cm long, and 3–5 cm wide. The bark is smooth and gray, with the inner bark mildly scented, the scent reminiscent of the bay laurel spice.

The flowers, which appear in late spring or early summer, [4] are creamy white, 8–14 cm diameter, with 6-15 petal-like tepals. The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be noticed several hundred yards away. The fruit is a fused aggregate of follicles, 3–5 cm long, pinkish-red when mature (in early fall [4] ), with the follicles splitting open to release the 1 cm long seeds. The seeds are black but covered by a thinly fleshy red coat, which is attractive to some fruit-eating birds; these swallow the seeds, digest the red coating, and disperse the seeds in their droppings.

Cultivation

Magnolia virginiana is often grown as an ornamental tree in gardens, and used in horticultural applications to give an architectural feel to landscape designs. It is an attractive tree for parks and large gardens, grown for its large, conspicuous, scented flowers, for its clean, attractive foliage, and for its fast growth. In warmer areas Magnolia virginiana is valued for its evergreen foliage.

The English botanist and missionary John Banister collected Magnolia virginiana in the southeastern United States in 1678 and sent it to England, where it flowered for Bishop Henry Compton. This species was the first magnolia to be cultivated in England, although it was soon overshadowed by the evergreen, larger-flowered southern magnolia ( M. grandiflora ) [5]

The sweetbay magnolia has been hybridized horticulturally with a number of species within subgenus Magnolia. These species include M. globosa, M. grandiflora, M. insignis, M. macrophylla, M. obovata, M. sieboldii and M. tripetala . Some of these hybrids have been given cultivar names and registered by the Magnolia Society.

Chemistry

Flowers contain the neolignans 3,5′-diallyl-2′,4-dihydroxybiphenyl, 4,4′-diallyl-2,3′-dihydroxybiphenyl ether, 5,5′-diallyl-2,2′-dihydroxybiphenyl and 3,5′-diallyl-2′-hydroxy-4-methoxybiphenyl. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Magnolia</i> Genus of angiosperms

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 to 340 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. The natural range of Magnolia species is disjunct, with a main center in east and southeast Asia and a secondary center in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America.

<i>Magnolia acuminata</i> Species of tree

Magnolia acuminata, commonly called the cucumber tree, cucumber magnolia or blue magnolia, is one of the largest magnolias, and one of the cold-hardiest. It is a large forest tree of the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario in Canada. It is a tree that tends to occur singly as scattered specimens, rather than in groves.

<i>Magnolia grandiflora</i> Species of tree

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large, striking evergreen tree, with large, dark-green leaves up to 20 cm long and 12 cm wide, and large, white, fragrant flowers up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter.

<i>Magnolia stellata</i> Species of shrub or tree

Magnolia stellata, the star magnolia, is a slow-growing deciduous shrub or small tree native to Japan. It bears large, showy white or pink flowers in early spring, before its leaves open. This species is closely related to the Kobushi magnolia, and is treated by many botanists as a variety or even a cultivar of that. However, Magnolia stellata was accepted as a distinct species in the 1998 monograph by Hunt.

<i>Cercidiphyllum</i> Genus of trees

Cercidiphyllum is a genus containing two species of plants, both commonly called katsura. They are the sole members of the monotypic family Cercidiphyllaceae. The genus is native to Japan and China and unrelated to Cercis (redbuds).

<i>Magnolia tripetala</i> Species of tree

Magnolia tripetala, commonly called umbrella magnolia or simply umbrella-tree, is a deciduous tree native to the eastern United States in the Appalachian Mountains, the Ozarks, and the Ouachita Mountains. The name "umbrella tree" derives from the fact that the large leaves are clustered at the tips of the branches forming an umbrella-shaped structure.

<i>Magnolia fraseri</i> Species of tree

Magnolia fraseri, commonly known as Fraser magnolia, mountain magnolia, earleaf cucumbertree, or mountain-oread, is a species of magnolia native to the south-eastern United States in the southern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain from West Virginia south to northern Florida and west to eastern Texas. The Appalachian plants are classified as Magnolia fraseri var. fraseri, and the more coastal plants as M. fraseri var. pyramidata. These two kinds of magnolia are often recognized as distinct species, M. fraseri and M. pyramidata, respectively.

<i>Magnolia macrophylla</i> Species of tree

Magnolia macrophylla, the bigleaf magnolia, is a deciduous magnolia native to the southeastern United States and eastern Mexico. This species boasts the largest simple leaf and single flower of any native plant in North America.

<i>Magnolia denudata</i> Species of plant

Magnolia denudata, the lilytree or Yulan magnolia, is native to central and eastern China. It has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang dynasty and it was planted in the grounds of the emperor's palace. It is the official city flower of Shanghai.

<i>Pseudolarix amabilis</i> Species of deciduous conifers in the family Pinaceae

Pseudolarix amabilis is a species of coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. The species is commonly known as golden larch, but being more closely related to Keteleeria, Abies and Cedrus, is not a true larch (Larix). P. amabilis is native to eastern China, occurring in small areas in the mountains of southern Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and eastern Sichuan, at altitudes of 100–1,500 m (328–4,921 ft). The earliest known occurrences are of compression fossils found in the Ypresian Allenby Formation and mummified fossils found in the Late Eocene Buchanan Lake Formation on Axel Heiberg Island.

<i>Magnolia sieboldii</i> Species of tree

Magnolia sieboldii, or Siebold's magnolia, also known as Korean mountain magnolia and Oyama magnolia, is a species of Magnolia native to east Asia in China, Japan, and Korea. It is named after the German doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796–1866).

<i>Magnolia officinalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Magnolia officinalis is a species of Magnolia native to the mountains and valleys of China at altitudes of 300–1500 m.

<i>Magnolia salicifolia</i> Species of tree

Magnolia salicifolia, also known as willow-leafed magnolia or anise magnolia, originates from Japan. It is a small deciduous tree 7.5 m (25 ft) tall, with narrow lanceolate leaves with whitened undersides. The leaves are not as narrow as true willows (Salix), but is narrow compared to other magnolias, giving this tree a finer texture. The 10 cm-wide scented flowers emerge in early spring before the leaves. Flowers have six petals. The leaves and bark are fragrant when crushed. It grows in rocky, granite soil along stream banks.

<i>Gordonia lasianthus</i> Species of tree

Gordonia lasianthus is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub found in acidic, swampy soils of pinelands and bays on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the southeastern United States. It is a member of the tea or family Theaceae. It is slow growing with soft, light-colored, fine-grained wood of little commercial value, although loblolly-bay could be managed as a source of pulpwood. When older specimens are cut, the wood exudes a strong scent. It is similar to a mixture of fresh oranges and pine sap. The bark of the adult tree varies from medium grey to a red brown coloration. Dead adult specimens of loblolly bay exhibit a lustrous shine when exposed to sunlight for several years. The white showy flowers and shiny foliage make it a desirable ornamental, but it is not easy to cultivate. Deer browse stump sprouts heavily.

<i>Magnolia sprengeri</i> Species of flowering plant

Magnolia sprengeri, or Sprenger's magnolia, is a species of Magnolia native to China, occurring in Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, and Sichuan in forests or thickets at 1300–2400 m altitude. Named for Carl Ludwig Sprenger, a botanist of note.

<i>Magnolia kobus</i> Species of tree

Magnolia kobus, known as mokryeon, kobus magnolia, or kobushi magnolia, is a species of Magnolia native to Japan and Korea and occasionally cultivated in temperate areas. It is a deciduous, small to tall tree which has a slow rate of growth but can reach 8–15 m (25–50 ft) in height and up to 10 m (35 ft) in spread.

<i>Heptacodium</i> Tree endemic to China (seven-son tree)

Heptacodium miconioides, the seven-son flower, is a species of flowering plant. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Heptacodium, of the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. The common name "seven-son flower" is a direct translation of the Standard Chinese name 七子花 qī zi huā.

<i>Illicium parviflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Illicium parviflorum, commonly known as yellow anisetree, yellow-anise, swamp star-anise, and small anise tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Schisandraceae, or alternately, the Illiciaceae. It is native to Florida in the United States. It historically occurred in Georgia as well, but it has been extirpated from the state.

<i>Cercidiphyllum japonicum</i> Species of tree

Cercidiphyllum japonicum, known as the Katsura, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cercidiphyllaceae native to China and Japan. It is sometimes called caramel tree for the light caramel smell it emits during leaf fall.

<i>Magnolia × thompsoniana</i> Hybrid species of tree

Magnolia × thompsoniana is a hybrid plant in the genus Magnolia and family Magnoliaceae. It is a semideciduous tree with large white fragrant flowers.

References

  1. ↑ Khela, S. (2014). "Magnolia virginiana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T194018A2294506. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T194018A2294506.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  3. ↑ "Magnolia virginiana (Sweet Bay Magnolia)".
  4. 1 2 Little, Elbert L. (1980). "Sweetbay". National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. Chanticleer Press. pp. 444–445.
  5. ↑ Aitken, Richard (2008). Botanical Riches: Stories of Botanical Exploration. Melbourne, Victoria: Miegunyah Press: State Library of Victoria. p. 112. ISBN   9780853319559.; Coats, Alice M. (1992) [1964]. Garden Shrubs and Their Histories. pp. s.v. "Magnolia".
  6. ↑ Chandra, Amitabh; Nair, Muraleedharan (2007). "Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction and Quantification of Bioactive Neolignans fromMagnolia virginianaFlowers". Planta Medica. 61 (2): 192–5. doi:10.1055/s-2006-958051. PMID   7753933.
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