1.magnoliaceae

Family Magnoliaceae

1. Magnoliaceae Michelia champaca

2. Systematic position Bentham and Hooker [1862] Division - Phanerogams Class - Dicotyledones Subclass - Polypetalae Series - Thalamiflorae Order - Ranales Family - Magnoliaceae .

3. Engler & Prantl (1931) Division - Phanerogams Class - Dicotyledoneae Subclass - Archichlamydeae Order - Ranales Family - Magnoliaceae . Systematic position

4. Systematic position Hutchinson[1959] Division - Angiospermae Class - Dicotyledones Subclass - Lignosae Order - Magnoliales Family - Magnoliaceae .

5. Salient features Mostly trees or shrubs, no herbs. Leaves alternate, stipulate and simple. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic and usually large in size. Perianth trimerous having three whorls Receptacle cone like. Stamens indefinite and spirally arranged Carpels many, Apocarpous and spirally arranged. Fruits usually an etaerio of follicles or berries or could be a samara also

6. Distribution It’s a family of about 18 Genera and 300 species. The members of this family are distributed mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the rthern hemisphere. Some of them are found in temperate regions also. Found in eastern Asia, Malaysia, Eastern North America, West Indies and Brazi l. Magnolia is the largest genus, mostly Asiatic with More than 77 species . Michelia (15 Spp.) occurs in tropical Asia from Java to China.

7. Description Habit: Mostly trees or shrubs. Few are climbers, Oil passage occurs in the parenchyma of stem and leaves. Anatomically wood shows very primitive characters. Magnolia insignis Magnolia susan

8. Leaves: Usually simple, entire alternate and stipulate. In Magnolia large stipules are formed, which cover the young leaves and fall as the leaves expand. Michelia champaca leaf Magnolia acuminata stipules

9. Inflorescence: It is of cymose type. Usually the flowers are terminal or solitary axillary and often of large size

10. Inflorescence: Mostly hermaphrodite and rarely unisexual, e.g in Kmeria . They are actinomorphic, regular, hypogynous and bracteate . Bracts are very often large and variously colored. The floral axis is convex or elongated.

11. Perianth : Usually whorled, consists of three whorls, sometimes it can be distinguished into calyx and corolla. Each whorl of perianth usually consists of three perianth leaves. In Magnolia the arrangement of perianth leaves is cyclic, but in other genera it is spiral.

12. Androecium : It consists of a large number of stamens which are arranged spirally in all genera. Hypogynous stamens and distinct. Anthers bi-lobed and dehisce longitudinally.

13. Gynoecium : It consists indefinite number of carpels spirally arranged. Carpels free, apocarpous . Gynoecium may be sessile or elongated. The number of ovules ranges from one to many. Anatropus ovule and parietal placenta.

14. Fruit : The fruit may be follicle, a winged nut or a berry

15. Seed : Endospermic, each seed bears a small embryo. Magnolia seeds bear bright red or orange coloured testas and are highly decorative. Pollination : Insect

16. Common plants of the family : Liriodendron tulipifera L., A large tree with handsome flowers, wood as a timber . 2. Michelia champaca L. “ Champa ”, A garden plant cultivated for its flowers which are sweet scented; used in perfumery . 3. Michelia grandiflora L. ‘Bari Champa ’ or ‘Him Champa ” A small tree with fragrant flowers . 4. Magnolia acuminata – Cucumber tree. Largest tree of Magnolias. Its green fruits resemble a cucumber; wood light, soft and durable.

17. Economic Importance Many family are important economically due to their horticultural values Magnolia grandiflora : Eng- Bull bay, Ver - Bari champa , This is a small tree with beautiful scented flowers. Cultivated as hedge plants. Michelia champaca : Large tree, cultivated mainly in South India, the Western Ghats, Assam and Bengal. Oil obtained is used in perfumery. Several Species yield timber. Root and bark are used as purgative. Flowers and fruits are used in renal disease. Oil is used in gout. Flowers yield a dye. Michelia fuscata : Eng- Banana shrub- Small tree. The flowers are used for scenting hair oil.

18. Liriodendron : Eng- Tulip tree , The tree is highly ornamental and grown in avenues. Talauma : This is also an ornamental tree