Laboratory and field identification of

important forestry species using

vegetative and reproductive
characteristics of Magnoliaceae
 Genera and Distribution

 A Primitive Family of Flowering Plants.

 The family has approximately 225 species in 7 genera.
 36 species in India.
 Distributed in North America, Mexico and Central America, the
West Indies, tropical South America, southern and eastern
India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, China, Japan and Korea.
Diagnostic features
 Tall trees or shrubs
 Leaves leathery, Simple, alternate and stipulate
 Flower solitary, large
 Sepals and petals alike
 Stamens and carpels many and free
 Fruit aggregate follicle or berry
 Ripe carpels separated on an elongated torus.
Phylogenetic Position

 Kingdom : Plantae – Plants

 Subkingdom   : Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
 Superdivision  : Spermatophyta – Seed plants
 Division   : Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
 Class   : Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
 Subclass   : Magnoliidae
 Order   : Magnoliales
 Family   : Magnoliaceae – Magnolia family
 Kingdom : Plantae
Class : Magnoliids
Order : Magnoliales
Family : Magnoliaceae Juss.
Subfamily : Magnolioideae
Tribe :Magnolieae
• Kmeria (5 species)
Phylogenetic Position • Magnolia (128 species)
• Manglietia (29 species)
• Pachylarnax (2 species)
•Tribe :Michelieae
• Elmerrillia (4 species)
• Michelia (49 species)
Subfamily :Liriodendroidae
• Liriodendron (2 species)
Phenology - Habit

 Trees or less often shrubs

 Aromatic with ethereal oil cells
Phenology - Leaves

 Alternate, simple, entire or lobed at tip

 Stipules and scars surrounding twigs
Phenology - Inflorescences

 Flowers solitary
 Terminal
Phenology - Flowers
 Perfect, large, actinomorphic
 Numerous spirally arranged parts
 No adnation or connation
 Anthers laminar
 Gynoecium apocarpous
 Ovary superior
 Placentation marginal
Phenology - Fruits
 An aggregate of follicles or samaras
 Seeds often surrounded by a fleshy aril
Phenology - Seeds
 Seeds 1–12 per fruiting carpel

 Testa fleshy

 Endosperm copious (with Food Storing tissue)

 Oily
Floral Formula and Diagrams
Spot Characters

 Tall trees with straight boles and showy flowers

 Stipules leaves a scar on the twig after they fall
 Fruits is an aggregate of follicles
 Seedslarge, suspended by a silky thread like
funiculus
Key to genera
 Ovary stalked ---------------- Michelia
 Ovary sessile ----------------- Magnolia
Michelia
 50 species
 Evergreen trees and shrubs
 Native to tropical and subtropical south and southeast Asia
(Indomalaya), including southern China.
 The leaves, flowers, and form of Michelia resemble Magnolia, but the
blossoms of Michelia generally form clusters among the leaves, rather
than singly at the branch ends like Magnolia.
 Important Species is Michelia champaca
Michelia champaca - Habit

 Trees
 Buttressed
 Up to 30 m tall.
Michelia champaca - Trunk & Bark

 Bark grey
 Lenticellate

 Blaze cream with orange speckles.

 Michelia champaca - Leaves
 Simple, alternate, spiral
 Petiole 1-3 cm long, stout
 Elliptic-lanceolate
 Apex acuminate with twisted acumen
 Margin slightly undulate, glabrous
 Midrib nearly flat above
 Secondary nerves 12-16 pairs
 Tertiary nerves closely and strongly reticulate.
Michelia champaca - Inflorescence /
Flower
 Flowers solitary
 Axillary, large, yellow,
fragrant.
 Bracteate. Bracteolate,
Pedicellate, Spirocyclic,
Actinomorphic, Bisexual,
Hypogynous, Large and fragrent
 Calyx: 4 Sepals, Polysepalous, green

 Corolla: 12 Petals, Polypetalous, 3 whorls of 4 each, Outer whorl

valvate and inner whorls twisted; Large, Pale yellow and deciduous.
Reproductive parts

 Androecium: Indefinite number of stamens, Polyandrous,

Spirally arranged on thalamus, Filaments short, Anthers
basifixed
 Gynoecium: Multicarpellary, Apocarpous, Arranged spirally
on conical thalamus, Ovary superior, Unilocular with
marginal placentation, Style curved and stigma beaked.
Michelia champaca - Fruit and Seed

 Follicles

 Arranged as spike

 Seeds 2–4 per carpel

Uses
 M. champaca and M. doltsopa are grown for their
flowers, both on the tree and as cut flowers.

 Champak flowers are also used to produce an

essential oil for perfume.

 Larger individuals are locally important sources of

timber.

 The heartwood is strong and durable and takes high

polish and is valued as furniture wood.
Magnolia

 Magnolia is an ancient genus with 210 species

 Important Species is Magnolia grandiflora
 The natural range of Magnolia species is East and
Southeast Asia and a secondary centre in Eastern North
America, Central America, the West Indies, and some
species in South America.
Magnolia grandiflora
 Evergreen
 Dense
 Conical shape
 Symmetrical
 27.5 m (90 ft) tall
Magnolia grandiflora - Leaf
 The leaves are simple and broadly
ovate
 Alternate
 Simple
 Dark green leathery leaves
Magnolia grandiflora - Flower/Fruit

 Fragrant
 Creamy white flowers in summer
 Bright red seeds in fall
Uses
 M. grandiflora is an American ornamental tree cultivated
in gardens.
 The bark from M. officinalis has long been used in
traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as houpu.
 The aromatic bark of M. obovata contains magnolol and
honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have
demonstrated anti-anxiety and anti-angiogenic properties.
 Magnolia bark also has been shown to reduce allergic and
asthmatic reactions
Liriodendron
 Liriodendron is a genus with two species known as
Tulip tree.
 Liriodendron tulipifera is native to eastern North
America, while Liriodendron chinense is native to
China and Vietnam.
 Both species are large deciduous trees
Liriodendron tulipifera
 Tulip tree.
 This longitudinal section of the flower
shows the greatly elongated floral axis
with distinct pistils.
 In this case the pistils will develop into
samaras.
Liriodendron tulipifera
 Habit: Deciduous
 Form: Tall, straight trunk; upper branches
create a rounded crown; in an open landscape
has more upright, oval shape
 Leaf : Alternate, simple leaves with short
lobes; clear yellow to yellow green fall color
 Flower/Fruit: Yellowish green and orange, cup
shaped upright, fragrant flowers in late spring
Uses
 A tall ornamental and timber tree with sweetly scented
flowers.
 Tulip tree wood is fine grained and stable.
 The wood, known as Canary white wood, is used in
cabinet work.
 It is easy to work and commonly used for cabinet and
furniture framing.
 The wood is only moderately rot resistant, and is not
commonly used in ship building, but has found some
recent use in light craft construction.
Other economically important species

 Alcimandra cathcartii (Michelia cathcartil) - occurs in

Darjeeling. Wood is good for indoor work.
 lllicium anisatum — Star-anise, is an evergreen shrub.
Seeds are used medicinally and in spices.
 Manglietia hookeri is found in evergreen forests of Assam
and yields furniture quality wood.
 Economic Importance

Timber : Liriodendron tulipifera Planks, tea boxes, cabinet work, aircrafts

Michelia champaca Furniture, carriage, building, house

construction, polishes well
M. nilagirica Railway sleepers
M. doltsopa Construction, furniture, aircraft, etc.
Magnolia campbelli Tea chests
Pulpwood : Magnolia grandiflora Unbleached pulp
Ornamental : Liriodendron tulipifera Handsome foliage
Medicinal : Drimys winteri Source of winters bark which is used as an
astringent (contracts body tissues and
checks secretions) and stimulant
L. tulipifera Bark of root, trunk and branches is bitter
tonic, febrifuge (reducing fever),
restorative and also used in rheumatism
and dyspepsia (indigestion)
Magnolia denudata Bitter aromatic buds and seeds are
considered medicinal
M. grandiflora Bark is a stimulant, aromatic and tonic,
used for malaria and rheumatism

M. montana Bark is used as tonic in fever

Others : M. champaca Oil obtained from flowers is
used in perfumery

M. nilagirica Bark yields essential oil

M. fuscata Flowers are used for

scenting hair oil
 Important Trees and their
Nativity

Drimys winteri : North America

Liriodendron tulipifera : North America
Magnolia campbellii : India
M. denudata : China
M. grandiflora : N. America
Michelia spp. : India