Magnolia virginiana

Taxonomy

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

Subdivisions

Three subdivisions are accepted.

• Magnolia virginiana var. australis Sarg. – South Carolina to Texas
• Magnolia virginiana subsp. oviedoae Palmarola, M.S.Romanov & A.V.Bobrov – Cuba (Matanzas Province)
• Magnolia virginiana subsp. virginiana – Alabama to Massachusetts

Description

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 with a disjunct native population found on Cape Ann in northeastern Massachusetts. Subspecies oviedoae is endemic to Matanzas Province of Cuba. 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, 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), 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).

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.

Gallery

File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Unopened Closeup 2059px.jpg|Unopened flower bud File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Leaves 2000px.jpg|Leaves File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Leaf 2000px.jpg|Leaf closeup File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Trunk Base 3000px.jpg|Base of the tree's trunk File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Bark Vertical.JPG|Closeup of the tree's bark File:Sweet-bay-magnolia-opening.jpg|Sweet Bay Magnolia flower just before opening File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Flower Closeup 2242px-2.jpg|Flower File:Magnolia virginiana fruit.jpg|Immature fruit File:Magnolia virginiana mature fruit.jpg|Mature fruit File:Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana Dried Berry Cluster 2000px.jpg|Dried berry cluster

References

References

1. Khela, S.. (2014). "''Magnolia virginiana''".
2. "''Magnolia virginiana''".
3. "Magnolia virginiana (Sweet Bay Magnolia)".
4. "''Magnolia virginiana'' L.". [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]].
5. Del Tredici, Peter. (1981). "Magnolia virginiana in Massachusetts". Arnoldia.
6. "''Magnolia virginiana'' subsp. ''oviedoae'' Palmarola, M.S.Romanov & A.V.Bobrov". [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]].
7. Little, Elbert L.. (1980). "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region". Chanticleer Press.
8. Aitken, Richard. (2008). "Botanical Riches: Stories of Botanical Exploration". Miegunyah Press: State Library of Victoria.
9. (2007). "Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction and Quantification of Bioactive Neolignans fromMagnolia virginianaFlowers". Planta Medica.