Species- Magnolia acuminata L.

Author: Amy Morrison

Common Names: Cucumber Tree, Cucumber Magnolia, Blue Magnolia (Callaway, 1994)

Higher Taxa:
Class-Magnoliopsida
Order-Magnolialas
Family-Magnoliaceae
Tribe-Magnolieae
Genus-Magnolia
(Callaway,1994) & (Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia, 1985)

Identification: "The species was first discovered by John Clayton, a county clerk and dedicated plant enthusiast, in Virginia in the 1700s. It was described by Catesby in 1739, and in 1759 Linnaeus named the species Magnolia acuminata, based on Catesby's description and plate"(Callaway,1994). According to Elias, M. acuminata are "...rapid-growing trees that often take 25 to 30 years to reach flowering size and may live from 125 to 150 years...They produce flowers and some fruits each year and large seed crops every 3 to 5 years" (Elias, 1980). Callaway describes the species as follows, "Plants of Magnolia acuminata are deciduous trees or shrubs to 30m tall and 51cm in diameter at breast height, with a pyramidal habit. The trunk is straight, the bark is light brown to gray and furrowed. Branchlets are light brown to gray or reddish brown and glabrous to slightly pubescent. Buds are covered with silky, yellowish hairs. Leaves are elliptic, oblong, or ovate to obovate, 5-20cm long, and 2.5-10cm wide. They are glabrous to slightly pubescent above, pubescent to almost tomentose beneath, especially when young. Leaf apex is rounded to acute or acuminate; the base is rounded to cuneate, rarely almost cordate. Petioles are 1.3-5cm long, greenish brown, and pubescent, becoming almost glabrous. The flowers are slightly fragrant, cup-shaped, and 5-10cm across, with 9 (sometimes 12) tepals. The inner tepals are glaucous, obovate to oblanceolate,2.5-10cm long, and 2.5-5cm wide. Coloration is yellow or yellow-green, often with a purplish blue tinge. The outer 3 tepals are membranaceous, about 2.5cm long, and reflexed. Stamens are about 1.3cm long. The pedicel is brown, glabrous to slightly pubescent, and about 2.5cm long. The follicetum is cylindric, oblong, 2.5-10cm long, and about 2.5cm wide, and glabrous. The outer seed coat is reddish orange." She goes on to say that this species has one commonly recognized variety- subcordata. "Plants of M. acuminata variety subcordata have pubescent to tomentose twigs and yellow rather than greenish yellow flowers" (Callaway,1994).

Geography: According to Duncan and Duncan, Magnolia acuminata is found "...from about 30m elevation near the Gulf to about 1500m in sAppalachians, but rarely common above 900m." This species is found along streambanks, upland coves, and rich wooded slopes (Duncan et al.,1988). Callaway goes on to say that it is abundant in cool, moist localities (Callaway, 1994).

North American Distribution of M. acuminata