Flora Medica

MAGNOLIACE^E.Nat. syst.ed. 2. p. 16.MAGNOLIA.Carpels arranged in compact spikes, opening by the outerangle, 1-2-seeded, persistent. Seeds baccate, somewhat cordate,hanging down from the carpel by the aid of a long umbilicalcord.54-. M. glauca Linn. sp. pi. 755. Mich. arb. forest,iii. 77.Bigelow med. bot. ii. t. 27. Common in the morasses of themiddle and southern states of America, where it is called" Swamp Sassafras, Beaver tree," &c.Bark of the young twigs of a bright smooth green, scarred with rings atthe insertion of the leaves by the fall of the deciduous stipules. Leavesalternate, stalked, regularly elliptical, entire, smooth. Their under side,except the midrib, of a pale, glaucous colour. When young, covered witha silken pubescence. Flowers solitary, terminal, on a short, incrassatedpeduncle. Sepals three, spatulate, obtuse, concave. Petals 8 to 14,obovate, obtuse, concave, contracted at their base. Stamens numerousinserted in common with the petals on the sides of a conical receptacle ;filaments very short; anthers linear, mucronated, 2-celled, openinginwardly. Ovaries collected into a cone, each divided by a furrow, andtipt with a brownish, linear, recurved style. Fruit a cone, consisting ofimbricated cells, which open longitudinally at the back for the escapeof the seed. Seeds obovate, scarlet, connected to the cone by afuniculus, which suspends them some time after they have fallen out.Bark bitter and aromatic, resembling and even rivalling in its qualitiescinchona. Particularly useful in chronic rheumatism. Tincture ofthe bark, seeds, and cones, equally efficacious.LIRIODENDRON.Carpels arranged in spikes, 1-2-seeded, indehiscent, deciduous,extended into a sort of wing.55. L. tulipifera Linn. sp. pi. 755. Sot. t.mag. 275. Mich,arb. forest,iii. 202. Bigelow med. bot. ii. t. 31. Forests inthe United States. (Tulip tree.)Leaves roundish, beautifully smooth and bright green, long-stalked,3-lobed, smooth, with the lateral lobes ovate the middle one truncated ;the former in the large leaves, furnished with a tooth or additional lobeon their outside. There is a variety with the lobes of its leaves notpointed, but very obtuse. Flowers large, solitary and terminal. Bracts2, triangular, falling off as the flower expands. Sepals 3, large, oval,concave, veined, of a pale green colour, spreading at first, but afterwardsreflexed. Petals 6, sometimes more, obtuse, concave, veined, of a p l023 C4-