2. Magnolia tripetala L. (umbrella tree, umbrella magnolia)
Map 2041
Plants trees to
12 m tall. Bark light gray, thin, smooth, becoming finely warty with age. Twigs
grayish brown, glabrous, the terminal buds somewhat flattened, bluntly pointed
at the somewhat asymmetric tip, glabrous. Leaves mostly in whorl-like clusters
at the branch tips. Leaf blades 10–20 cm long at flowering, to 60 cm long at
maturity, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate or narrowly obovate, widest at or
more commonly above the middle, long-tapered to the base, the upper surface
glabrous, the undersurface green, densely hairy, especially along the midvein.
Flowers with the perianth 7–12 cm long, consistingof 6–9 tepals, the outermost
usually the longest, all spreading to loosely ascending, oblanceolate to
narrowly obovate, the outermost usually slightly cupped toward the tip, white.
Fruits 6–12 cm long, narrowly oblong-ovate in outline, the follicles
long-beaked, glabrous. Seeds 9–12 mm long, ovate, often somehat flattened, the
aril pinkish red to red. 2n=38. April–May.
Possibly
introduced, known from a single site in St. Louis County (eastern U.S. west to
Oklahoma and Louisiana). Mesic upland forests.
Steyermark
(1963) excluded this species from the Missouri flora, stating that the only
historical collection was mislabeled and originated from Tennessee. However,
Harriman (1969) reported a single mature individual in a remnant forest stand
in St. Louis County, which he suggested was a disjunct native occurrence, based
on the associated species at the site and the lack of previous development in
the immediate area. Flowers of this species have an unpleasant scent.