Family Magnoliaceae

Detailed terminology about family magnoliaceae

1. MAGNOLIACEAE A.L de Jussieu Dr. Avinash Gholave Department of Botany K.V. N. Naik Arts, Commerce and Science College Nashik .

2. Classification according to Bentham & Hooker Division: Phanerogams Class : Dicotyledons Subclass : Polypetalae Series : Thalamiflorae Order : Ranales Family : Magnoliaceae

3. Geographical Distribution: Eastern Asia & America, with 7 genera and more than 230 species. Habitat: Temperate to Tropical rain forests. Habit: Medium to large sized trees and shrubs. Root: Tap root system. Stem: Aerial, erect, woody, branched, soft pubescent when young, glabrous and lenticellate at maturity bearing essential oils ( kaempferol ). Vessels without pits.

4. Leaves: Simple, alternate, petiolate , entire, usually gland dotted with distinct odour , margins entire, but opposite, decussate in ( Illicium ) and pinnatifid in ( Liriodendron ). Stipules large, sheathing entire leaf bud (bud scale stipule), caducous , leaving a ringshaped scar at the node. Illicium Michelia Liriodendron Stipule

5. Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary or terminal. Flower: Pedicellate , large, showy, bracteate ; bract spathaceous , bisexual or rarely unisexual ( Kmeria ), actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic ( Drimys ), hypogynous , complete, aromatic. Thallamus well developed, elongated, conical on which floral whorls are arranged in partial or complete spirals. Magnolia virginiana

6. Androecium: Stamens infinite (50–200), all fertile, maturing centripetally, polyandrous in spiral arrangement with short filament and long prolonged connective; anthers adnate , dehiscing by longitudinal slits, introse ( Magnolia ) or extrose ( Liriodendron, Michelia ) Gynoecium: Carpels usually many ( Magnolia, Michelia ) i.e. polycarpellary, apocarpus ; style usually absent; stigma simple. Ovary superior, unilocular , 2–20-ovuled arranged on marginal placenta. Pollination : Entomophilous (Beetles)

7. Fruit: Aggregate- Etario of follicles ( Michelia ) or samara ( Liriodendron ) or united into a syncarp ( Aromadendron ) or baccate ( Kmeria ) Seeds : Large, endospermic with long thread like funiculus , bright or orange testa , endosperm oily . Dispersal : Usually by birds and mammals. In Liriodendron by wind . Floral formula : Br ⊕ ♀ P6-many A α G2- α with marginal placentation Michelia Liriodendron

8. Trees or shrubs with alternate simple leaves Stipules deciduous, leaving a circular scar at node Flowers usually solitary, bisexual, large Floral parts numerous, spirally arranged on elongated thalamus Tepals gradually passing from outer sepals to inner petals Stamens laminar ( adnate ) Polycarpellary apocarpus gynoecium Seeds suspended by thread like funiculus Diagnostic characters:

9. Magnolia grandiflora ( Kavati chapha ): Cultivated for fragrant and showy flowers. Michelia champaka ( Sonchapha ): Usually Cultivated near temples and in gardens for its fragrant flowers. Flowers are used in extraction of essential oils. Medicinally used in treatment of kidney troubles, goorrhoea and blood cancer. Drimys winterii (Winter bark): Cultivated for ornamental, fragrant flowers and dye preparation. Illicium verum-annisatum ( Badal phul ): Used in spices. Liriodendron tulipiflora (Tree tulip):Wood is used as timber Schizodendron grandiflora : Fruits are edible. Economic Importance of family Magnoliaceae :

10. Based on the primitive features including spiral arrangements of stamens and carpels , adnate stamens, follicle type of fruit, longer and narrower elements with pits, monosulcate pollen grains and beetle pollination, the family was considered as most primitive in various systems of classification by various authors. This most primitive status of the family was challenged by Cronquist , claiming Family Winteraceae as most primitive. Family Magnoliaceae is allied to family Annonaceae but differs in having definite number and imbricate perianth lobes Phylogenetic relationship: