Magnolia

Magnolia wieseneri

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae.


The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with a main center in east and southeast Asia and a secondary center in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America. Today many species of Magnolia and an ever-increasing number of hybrids can also be found as ornamentals in large parts of North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The genus is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.


Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. Another primitive aspect of Magnolias is their lack of distinct sepals or petals.



Selected species of Magnolia

Magnolia subgenus Magnolia: Anthers open by splitting at the front facing the centre of the flower. Deciduous or evergreen. Flowers produced after the leaves.

• Magnolia delavayi - Chinese evergreen


• Magnolia fraseri - FraMagnolia ser magnolia


• Magnolia globosa - Globe magnolia


• Magnolia grandiflora - Southern magnolia or bull bay


• Magnolia guatemalensis - Guatemalan magnolia


• Magnolia macrophylla - Bigleaf magnolia


• Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei - Ashe magnolia


• Magnolia macrophylla subsp. dealbata - Mexican bigleaf magnolia


• Magnolia nitida -


• Magnolia obovata - Japanese bigleaf magnolia


• Magnolia officinalis - Houpu magnolia


• Magnolia sieboldii - Siebold's magnolia


• Magnolia tripetala - Umbrella magnolia


• Magnolia virginiana - Sweetbay magnolia Magnolia wilsonii - Wilson's magnoli

Magnolia subgenus Yulania: Anthers open by splitting at the sides. Deciduous. Flowers mostly produced before leaves (except M. acuminata).

• Magnolia acuminata - Cucumber tree


• Magnolia amoena


• Magnolia biondii


• Magnolia campbellii - Campbell's magnolia


• Magnolia cylindrica


• Magnolia dawsoniana - Dawson's magnolia


• Magnolia denudata - Yulan magnolia


• Magnolia hypoleuca - Whitebark Magnolia


• Magnolia kobus - Kobushi magnolia


• Magnolia liliiflora - Mulan magnolia


• Magnolia salicifolia - Willow-leafed magnolia


• Magnolia sargentiana - Sargent's magnolia


• Magnolia sprengeri - Sprenger's magnolia


• Magnolia stellata - Star magnolia


• Magnolia zenii

Other

• Magnolia hodgsonii


• Magnolia sirindhorniae - Princess Sirindhorn's magnolia


• Magnolia splendens Shining Magnolia, Laurel Magnolia

Uses

In general, Magnolia is a genus which has attracted a lot of horticultural interest. Hybridisation has been immensely successful in combining the best aspects of different species to give plants which flower at an earlier age than the species themselves, as well as having more impressive flowers. One of the most popular garden magnolias is a hybrid, M. x soulangeana (Saucer magnolia; hybrid M. liliiflora x M. denudata).


Medicinal uses


The bark from M. officinalis has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as hou po. In Japan, kōboku, M. obovata has been used in a similar manner. The aromatic bark 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.


Magnolia has attracted the interest of the dental research community because magnolia bark extract inhibits many of the bacteria responsible for caries and periodontal disease. In addition, the constituent magnolol interferes with the action of glucosyltransferase, an enzyme needed for the formation of bacterial plaque.