MSI ISSUE 91 DRAFT

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Issue 91

Developing instant magnolias

Vance Hooper, Vanplant Nursery and Magnolia Grove Holdings It has been a few years since I have discussed the breeding work we are doing at Magnolia Grove. With something like 2000 or more seedlings in the program, some as old as seven years, there are some interesting observations to be made about the so-called instant magnolias; that is, those that are quick to bloom after a cross is made. When the previous work done at Duncan and Davies starting in 1987 is added to the mix, there is a broad base of material to observe. Some of those crosses resulted in Magnolia ‘Margaret Helen’, named after my mother (M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. ‘Bernie Hollard’), M. ‘Shirazz’ (M. denudata x M. ‘Vulcan’), M. ‘Touch of Class’ (M. ×soulangeana ‘San Jose’ x M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’) and M. ‘Advance’ (M. ×soulangiana ‘Burgundy’ x M. ‘Vulcan’). One of the better seedlings I raised at Duncan and Davies was M. ‘Old Port’(M. ×soulangeana 'Sweet Simplicity’ x M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’).

Magnolia 'Genie' is an early bloomer with a deep color

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Right from the early crosses, using Magnolia ×soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’ as a parent has paid dividends. M. ×s. ‘Sweet Simplicity’, which displayed an elegant and sharp form with better-than-average color, was selected as a seedling flowering under desperate growing conditions. Such an easy flowering parent has produced many progeny with a similar eagerness to flower. From the earliest crosses in this line to now, I am evaluating the flowers of 4th generation seedlings. This has been achieved over 22 years, in spite of the magnolia passion being put aside for three years or so in the middle of that time span.


Magnolia The first big planting of one-year-old seedlings at Magnolia Grove in 2005 is beginning to mature nicely, so that they now set a stage of background trees growing up to 5m (16 ft) in height. These plants were hybridized in 2003 when I saw the seedlings of M. ×soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ begin to flower. Most of these crosses used the precocious nature of M. ‘Genie’ to full advantage, while others, such as M. ‘Brixton Belle’, echo their grandparent, M. ×soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’, in their determination to flower. This free-flowering nature has been reflected in the nursery row where bud-grafted plants from most selections have set flowers in the first year. M. ‘Genie’ was released in 2006 in NZ. While I was in Tauranga from 2000 to 2003, extending my career by working for a subtropical fruit crop nursery, I continued to breed magnolias as a hobby. I had been working at Duncan and Davies, where I had done magnolia breeding work for them as part of my professional work, and was very interested in continuing with it as a hobby. In Tauranga, I crossed one of the M. ×soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ seedlings with a sister seedling of M. ‘Old Port’ to raise what I introduced as M. ‘Genie’. When I returned to Taranaki in 2003, and saw the original seedlings of M. ×soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ , I realized how good and varied they were. I did a whole bunch of crosses using some of them onto M. ‘Genie’, as well as M. ‘Genie’ pollen onto them. I also used M. ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ pollen onto them, and this is where M. ‘Brixton Belle’ came from. M. ‘Brixton Belle’ was crossed in 2003, sown in 2004 and flowered with eleven flowers in Magnolia 'Brixton Belle' 2007. In 2005 the opportunity to develop magnolia breeding to a more professional level arose when we bought the land we now call Magnolia Grove, and I was able to plant about 500 seedlings from that mass hybridizing done more as a hobby in 2003. The crosses hybridized in 2006, after our 2


Issue 91

This seedling of Magnolia cylindrica x M. 'Genie' flowered at 3 years from seed.

inspirational trip to Cornwall, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, are now five years of age. Some are flowering for the first time, some for the fourth if you count summer flowers on 16-month-old seedlings of M. cylindrica x M. ‘Genie’. While blooming this young indicates a willingness to flower, several seasons are needed to make serious selections. Up until now, from about 150 seedlings in this cross, there is only one that looks anything like outstanding.

Climate vs. genetics

These sorts of results have led some to comment on how easily magnolias flower in our climate, but the reality is that it is the choice of genetics that achieves this. While it is relatively easy to develop a race of early-maturing magnolia hybrids, the trick is to make them outstanding. A good example of this is Magnolia ‘Strawberry Fields’ which is a vibrant strawberry red. This is an Ian Baldick hybrid of M. ‘Spectrum’ x M. ‘Vulcan’. This fast grower can be 2-3m tall three years after grafting, which is when it begins to flower. This is quite quickly, considering the parentage. M. ‘Strawberry Fields’ looks like it will settle down and not be too vigorous once it settles to flowering as it sets flowers on the terminal shoots, and this is the key to slowing growth.

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Magnolia More recent hybrid crosses at Magnolia Grove such as M. ‘Aurora’ x M. ‘Genie’ have produced some interesting colors at three years from seed. M. ‘Aurora’ is a bright, glowing reddish pink, and this has come through in some of the seedlings. Add to this an interesting frosting effect on the inner tepals passed on from M. ‘Genie’, and you begin to realize that there is still room to extend the boundaries. This frosting effect is also interesting when you add it to the “fir cone” look (the layered arrangement of the tepals), exhibited when the flowers start to open, as shown in some of the M. cylindrica hybrids. I’ve found this The fir cone style is common in hybrids of M. trait consistent in many of the M. cylindrica x M. 'Genie'. cylindrica x M. ‘Genie’ seedlings.

M. 'Woodsman' x M. 'Genie' shows a gold overlay over a redder flower. 4

Adding M. acuminata into the mix with the goal of producing something more hardy has yielded results more quickly than I had originally anticipated. This has been done with M. acuminata ‘Koban Dori', M. ×brooklynensis ‘Eva Maria’ and M. ×brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’ as seed parents. We don’t ever expect to catch up with some of the exquisite hybrids that Dennis Ledvina is producing, but each breeding line does yield pleasant surprises. M. ‘Woodsman’ has produced some of the best yellows, and when combined with red can give some interesting results. Most of these hybrids have


Issue 91 flowered at four years from seed. The next step in the process of trialing these fast maturing hybrids is to bud them in the nursery. When seedlings show real potential, I will either graft or bud from the trees when they are in flower. When the first grafted progeny produce flower buds in their first shorter-than-normal growing season, you really are on the track of instant magnolias. At Magnolia Grove we now approach breeding from a professional angle. This is reaping rewards in the marketplace, with several varieties now on the market in Europe and maybe a dozen seedling hybrids on trial in Europe and North America. This approach means we have become quite critical when it comes to the selection process, but in no way do we wish to discourage the passionate magnolia grower who may grow his/her own hybrids or plant seed from the generous work of the seed counter. An example of this passion leading to good varieties is the work of Deryk Lawrence, with whom many of you will be familiar. Deryk and Nancy Lawrence had developed a garden over a period of 20 years at Otamarakau, south of Tauranga in the North Island of New Zealand. As the garden developed, wild magnolia seedlings came up and Deryk quietly took them aside and lined them out to see how they flow-

M. 'Aurora' x M. 'Genie' shows the frosting that seems to be coming out of Magnolia x 'Genie' on a fairly regular basis. 5


Magnolia

Magnolia 'Genie'

ered. The first selection he named after his wife Nancy, and subsequent seedlings were named after their granddaughters Anya, Kaira, Rebecca and Roslind. These quick-to-bloom selections all represent a significant addition to the range of named magnolia hybrids, even though their parentage is not accurately known.

Summary

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that it is genetics that makes for instant magnolias rather than any special climatic conditions. A longer growing season possibly helps, but this is easily discounted when a seedling is budded into the nursery in mid-October and then still manages to set flower buds by the end of growth in March. It is satisfying to see these quicker results from the breeding work, but any hybrid group is likely to have its own early blooming progeny that will enable professionals or hobbyists to develop a group of instant magnolias.

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Magnolia

Issue 91

Discovery and demise of a new species of Magnolia from northern Peru, South America

Michael O. Dillon, Curator Emeritus, Botany Department, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL The eastern side of the Peruvian Andes is home to some of the highest biological diversity on Earth. As one travels east across the mountains and crosses the continental divide, the montane forests and the ceja de la montaĂąa (the eyebrow of the forest) give way to the lowland rain forests of the Amazon basin. These forests are termed Selva Alta and range roughly between 500-1500 m (150-450 ft). One area in particular, the Alto Mayo river basin in the northern San MartĂ­n, is distinctive for having high bird diversity and highly endemic, threatened primate species, such as the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) and Rio Mayo titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe). It has also been long known that this region is home to considerable flowering plant diversity. It was not until the area was opened up by passable roads into the interior in the 1970s that the extensive forests of the basin became easily available to modern botanists. In the mid-1500s, the forests were continuous from northern Bolivia to southern Ecuador. The city of Moyobamba, just south of Rioja was founded by the Spanish in 1540 on the borders of the RĂ­o Mayo. From that time forward, disturbance has eroded the integrity of the forests. The same roads that made the forests accessible to botanists also made the area

Panoramic view of Alta Mayo valley

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Magnolia popular for immigration from other regions of Peru, especially from the Sierra to the west. Over the last 50 years, the population of northeastern Peru has grown rapidly and this growth has resulted in the further exploitation of unprotected forests. In 1986, amid fears that continued logging would directly threaten their watersheds or “micro-cuencas," local leaders in Rioja requested that the forests in the headwaters of the Río Alto Mayo and its tributaries be protected. In that year, the Peruvian government set aside a large portion of these forests under the protected status of Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo; it amounts to an area about half the size of Rhode Island (~700 mi2), covering the watershed of the Río Alto Mayo. However, while the forests are protected under law, there is no enforcement mechanism for keeping settlers out and preventing illegal lumber extraction. In 1994, against the backdrop of continuing destruction of the forests within the protected area, The Field Museum initiated a collecting program largely within the boundaries of the park. My Peruvian colleague, Dr. Isidoro Sánchez-Vega, Director of the herbarium at the Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, and I actively explored and collected over the next seven years (Dillon & Sánchez, 2001; Sánchez et al., 2002). Field studies were challenging, with difficult terrain cut by a few narrow trails, most no more than two feet wide, and depending upon the season, extremely slippery and filled with muddy, knee-deep holes that literally suck your rubber boots off. On these trails with their steep switchbacks, the locals and their pack animals traverse the hills a few hundred feet high. We conducted forays on foot for 1- to 2-week periods throughout the park. Food and shelter had to be carried on one’s back unless mules could be secured. And alcohol had to be carried, but mostly not for drinking. Rather, since conditions did not permit the initial drying of plants, they were pressed into newspaper, bundled into heavy plastic bags, and saturated with alcohol, often strong, local “whitelightning” cane liquor. When we returned to our base of operations in Rioja, we dried the plants in presses with aluminum corrugates Dillon (left) at an overnight camp with collecting team in the and electrical heaters. forest 8


Issue 91 While lower level vegetation is easy to sample, trees present special problems and challenges. With the aid of clipper poles that extend to 36 feet, and some younger locals willing to climb trees, we were able to sample trees whose first branches were more than 20 feet above the base. Flowers and fruits are mostly hidden in the canopy, well over 50 feet from the forest floor. Trekking through the forests, one quickly learns to look down first, encountering flowers parts or fruits on the forest floor, and then looking up, to try to associate which large tree was shedding its reproductive structures. Most trees seemed to have quite small flowers in relation to their size; i.e., the bigger the tree, the smaller the flowers! Most species, in fact, had remarkably non-showy flowers. There were plenty of orchids festooning off branches and trunks, but only a few showy flowers from trees. We did not expect to encounter any Magnoliaceae. The family was not treated by MacBride in the Flora of Peru series or by Brako & Zarucchi (1993). Species had been recorded for Peru; for example, Magnolia amazonica (Ducke) Govaerts and M. rimachii (Lozano) Govaerts from the lowlands or Selva Baja. However, the family was anything but common in the Peruvian Selva Alta. Imagine our surprise, on a June day in 1998, as we trudged up a slope covered by mixed evergreens above the RĂ­o Serranoyacu between the villages of Aguas Verdes and Paraiso, and spotted a small tree with shiny, dark green leaves and a single, large white flower with petals nearly 6 cm (+2 in) long. Despite concerted efforts to locate another individual or another bloom, none were found on that trip. At the time, we were quite excited about finding what we took to be a new species of the Magnolia segregate Talauma and discussed collecting what was obviously such a rare plant. Since there was only the one flower, we decided to collect a unicate and return another time to see if there were more blooms to be had. When we returned in less than six months time, that tree and most of the forest around it had been cut. The following year in July, we found another individual between Aguas Verdes and Perla del Mayo. We collected it, but it was sterile and we never encountered another plant during subsequent years of exploration. We put off the description of the new species, wanting to wait to find more flowering material before beginning a formal description. And when we wanted to explore its relationships, we discovered our material that had been treated with alcohol was not suitable for DNA extraction. In June, 2008, we returned to the upper RĂ­o Alto Mayo valley specifically to attempt to relocate the Magnolia species in the forests near Aguas Verdes. The idea was to get some suitable material for DNA analysis. We were dismayed to find that the forests had been clear-cut and planted in coffee. We found the beginnings of a road being constructed within the park that will make extraction of resources easier. When we inquired about such trees, the ones with large white flowers, the locals were of no 9


Magnolia help in locating them, denying their existence. They take the view that such plants are actually “dangerous” to their livelihoods as madereros, or lumber extractors. Like the various rare and endangered birds and primates in the region, scientific study shines a glaring light on the locals’ most destructive practices. The Alto Mayo region is a protected area, but lacks any real protection from those who are responsible for providing it. At that moment, we decided to go ahead with the description of a new species of Magnolia, given that Talauma had been found nested within Magnolia in the light of molecular investigations (J. Wen, pers. com.). We feared that it was extirpated in the type locality and waiting for further material might prove impossible. By describing the new species as beautiful and obviously threatened, we felt that it was emblematic of all organisms in this habitat, and might provide some small amount of publicity about the plight of the forests. This handsome new species is named in honor of Susan and James Bankard, longtime patrons of science at The Field Museum and supporters of our ongoing efforts to record and document Peru’s endangered plant life (Dillon Illustration from the scientific description of Magnolia & Sanchez, 2011). bankardiorum

Postscript

In November 2009, I was in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, monitoring El Niño influences when I received an email from Richard Figlar, inquiring about a potential new species of Magnolia from Peru! He had been contacted by Russian botanists, who, while traveling in the Alto Mayo region studying palms, had encountered a photograph of a Magnolia flower attributed to me and published in a 2009 calendar for the Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego (Trujillo). I was able to forward a proof copy of the new species publication and eventually hard copies of the journal, Arnaldoa, printed in Peru. We are hopeful that the species is not extinct, just hiding in the remaining forests and we will continue our search in the future. 10


Issue 91

Acknowledgements

Funding for fieldwork was provided, in part, by the National Geographic Society Grant 5791-96 and The Field Museum. I thank Isidoro Sánchez Vega, ����������������� Mario Zapata, Roberto Diéguez, Segundo Leiva, Víctor Quipuscoa, Manuel Cabanillas, Julio Hidalgo, Hugo Vela, Arquilo Vargas, Emerson Vargas, and Lalo Martell. Nancy Klaud is acknowledged for her illustration. I also want to thank Richard Figlar, who originally contacted me about the image on the calendar and ultimately suggested that this short story of the discovery and plight of an endangered Magnolia might be of interest to the 2009 Calendar for the Universidad Privad Antenor members of the Magnolia Orrego featuring Magnolia bankardiorum Society International.

Literature Cited

Brako, L. and J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Syst. Bot. Mongr. 45. Missouri Botanical Garden. 1286 pp. Dillon, M.O. and I. Sánchez-V. 2001. Floristic Inventory of the Bosque de Protección del Río Alto Mayo (San Martín, Peru) URL: http://www.sacha.org/ envir/eastlow/intro.html. Dillon, M.O. and I. Sánchez V. 2009. A new species of Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) from the Alto Mayo region, San Martin, Peru. Arnaldoa 16(1),7-12. Sánchez-V., I., G. Iberico-V., M. Zapata-C., M. L. Kawasaki and M.O. Dillon. 2001. Nuevos registros para la flora de San Martín, Perú. Arnaldoa 8(2): 4552.

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Magnolia

Introduction to the The Red List of Magnoliaceae, 2007

Daniele Cicuzza, Adrian Newton and Sara Oldfield

The Magnoliaceae is a family in the flowering plant order Magnoliales, the members of which are evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs. The family is of exceptional evolutionary interest, as it displays many characters that are considered evolutionarily primitive. For example, the flower parts are arranged in spirals rather than in rings, unlike most other flowering plants, and the sepals and petals are not so clearly differentiated as in most other angiosperms. Although in the late Cretaceous and Tertiary periods the family occurred throughout the Northern Hemisphere, today it displays a disjunct geographical distribution. Some two thirds of species are distributed in Asia, from southern and eastern India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malesia, China, Korea and Japan, reaching as far south as New Guinea. The remaining species are found in eastern North America, Mexico and Central America and the West Indies, reaching a southern limit in Brazil (Azuma et al., 2001). Due largely to their attractive flowers, these plants are widely appreciated as ornamental trees and shrubs, and have consequently attracted much interest from horticulturalists. This interest is illustrated by the existence and work of the Magnolia Society (www.magnoliasociety.org), which has produced a number of publications and an informative internet resource describing the cultivation, conservation and use of magnolias (see also Hunt, 1998). Some species are also prized as medicinal plants (for example Magnolia officinalis is a Magnolia grandis in Jinchang Nature Preserve, Malipo widely known Chinese County, Yunnan, China. Critically Endangered due to habitat traditional medicinal degredation and clearing. (Photo by Richard Figlar) material), whereas oth12


Issue 91

Magnolia grandis (Photo by Richard Figlar)

ers [e.g. Magnolia cylindrica and M. gioi (syn. M. hedyosperma)] are a source of foodstuffs (Shi et al., 2000). The family has been the focus of much recent taxonomic research, including the use of molecular systematics (DNA sequencing) (Qiu et al., 1995 a, b; Azuma et al., 1999, 2001; Kim et al., 2001; Shi et al., 2000) as well as more traditional analysis of morphological characters (Figlar, 2000, 2002 a, b; Kim et al., 2002; Sima et al., 2001; Baranova and Jeffrey, 2000; Nooteboom, 1985, 1998, 2000; Li and Conran, 2003; Figlar and Nooteboom, 2004). The family has long been divided into two subfamilies: Magnolioideae and Liriodendroidae, the latter consisting of just two species of the genus Liriodendron (Tulip trees). However, as a result of recent research, the number of genera within the Magnolioideae has been reduced from as many as 11 to just one, Magnolia (Figlar and Nooteboom, 2004). According to these authors, the genus Magnolia is divided into three subgenera: Magnolia, Yulania and Gynopodium. A full checklist of the family, including a bibliography of the most relevant taxonomic literature, was provided by Frodin and Govaerts (1996). This recognized 223 species. However, the family continues to be the subject of taxonomic revisions (Zhang, 2004), and a number of additional Magnolia species have been described since publication of this work, including M. krusei from Guerrero, Mexico (Ramirez and Duran, 2005), M. thailandica 13


Magnolia

Magnolia sinica, in Fadu nature preserve in Xichou County, Yunnan, China. Critically Endangered, extremely high risk of extinction. (Photo by Richard Figlar)

(Nooteboom and Chalermglin, 2002) and M. sirindhorniae from Thailand (Nooteboom and Chalermglin, 2000). Doubtless other new species await discovery and description. Magnolia species have also attracted a great deal of attention from evolutionary biologists and biogeographers (Qiu et al., 1995 a, b). In particular, Magnolia is one of around 65 plant genera common to both eastern Asia and eastern North America (Wen, 1999). This disjunction is one of the bestknown biogeographic patterns in theNorthern Hemisphere, and has been intensively studied. A striking feature of the two floras is the presence of morphologically similar pairs of species. Phylogenetic analyses, however, have indicated that such species pairs are rarely closely related (Wen, 1999). The floristic similarity between these two regions is attributed to the fact that both are derived from a mixed mesophytic forest that was once continuously distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This forest was fragmented by the climatic and geological changes that occurred throughout the late Tertiary and Quaternary (Wen, 1999; Xiang et al., 2000). Molecular data closely agree with palaeontological evidence, indicating that exchange of plant elements between NorthAmerica and eastern Asia may have occurred into the Miocene via both the North Atlantic Bridge and the Bering Strait. Since the mid-Miocene, palaeontological evidence suggests that temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere declined dramat14


Issue 91 ically. Molecular analyses of angiosperms indicate that most species with the eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct pattern appear to have diverged in the late Miocene and Pliocene, coinciding with this climatic deterioration (Xiang et al., 2000).Qui et al. (1995 b) concluded from analysis of a range of taxa that disjunction has occurred at different times in different taxa,which suggests that the floristic similarity between the two continents may have arisen through multiple migrations via both land bridges. A striking feature of the two floras is that around twice as many species occur in eastern Asia as in eastern North America. This difference was analyzed in detail by Qian and Ricklefs (2000), who attributed the apparent higher net speciation rate in eastern Asia to the region’s extreme physiographic heterogeneity, which in conjunction with climate and sea-level change has provided opportunities for evolutionary radiation through allopatric speciation. This hypothesis was further confirmed by Xiang et al. (2004), who found higher rates of molecular evolution in eastern Asia compared to eastern North America, in an analysis of 10 genera common Magnolia tamaulipana, ne Mexico. Endangered. (Photo by A. to both regions. Schettler) While Magnolia did not form part of the latter study, it is likely that these same processes account for the relatively high number of Asian species within this genus. Azuma et al. (2001) analyzed the molecular phylogeny of the Magnoliaceae, and found that although the origin of the family dates back to the late Cretaceous (around 100 million years ago), diversification of extant taxa within the subfamily Magnolioideae appears to have been relatively recent, notably during the middle Eocene (around 42million years ago). The ancestral lineage of the Magnolioideae is thought to have spread at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere during the early Eocene (50-54 million years ago), which was a relatively warm period (Azuma et al., 2001). Subsequent climatic cooling in the mid-Eocene appears to have been associated with diversification of the Magnolioideae, as well as being respon15


Magnolia sible for the disjunction between North America and eastern Asia, which was associated with the widespread extinction of many lineages in North America and Europe. The climate continued to fluctuate between the early Oligocene and middle Miocene (around 34-15 million years ago), providing opportunities for intercontinental migration of temperate lineages of the Magnolioideae (Azuma et al., 2001). Despite their scientific, cultural and socioeconomic importance, a comprehensive conservation assessment of all the Magnoliaceae species has never previously been undertaken. However, Magnolia species are increasingly attracting the interest of conservation biologists, and a significant amount of research relevant to their conservation has been undertaken in recent years, particularly in Japan and Mexico. For example Corral-Aguirre and Sanchez-Velasquez (2006) examined seed ecology and germination requirements in the threatened M. dealbata, whereas Ramirez-Bamonde et al. (2005) and Gutierrez and Vovides (1997) investigated seedling survival and growth in the same species. In Japan, Ueno et al. (2005) assessed genetic diversity and differentiation in the endemic M. stellata, Isagiet al. (2000) performed a microsatellite analysis of a population of M. obovata and Isagi et al. (2004) analyzed pollen movement in the same species. Setsuko et al. (2004) used microsatellite markers to examine genetic structure in clonal populations of the threatened M. tomentosa (syn. M. stellata), whereas Kikuchi and Isagi (2002) examined microsatellite genetic varia-

Magnolia megaphylla (syn. M. dandyi) in Fadu nature preserve, Yunnnan, China. Heavily exploited for firewood and timber, Critically Endangered. (Photo by Richard Figlar) 16


Issue 91

Magnolia dealbata, e Mexico. Endangered due to habitat destruction, timber production, and poor reproduction. (Photo by David Kruse-Pickler)

tion in small populations of M. sieboldii ssp. japonica, and Hirayama et al. (2005) examined the pollination ecology of M. stellata. In a particularly interesting study, Matsuda et al. (2003) applied measures of extinction risk to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the Japanese World Exposition held in 2005, noting that impacts on species of concern were minimized by changing the site plan.

Information collection for conservation

The collection of information on the conservation status of Magnoliaceae and evaluation using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria has been a collaborative endeavor involving botanists worldwide. The experts who have provided information for this report are listed at the end of this introduction. A major component of the evaluation has been analysis of the distribution of each species using information compiled from a variety of sources. These included regional and monographic floras, national Red Data Books, online herbarium specimen databases, and the taxonomic and ecological scientific literature. The information available for different species varied in terms of both accuracy and precision, and also reflected a variety of different time scales; both recent and historical distribution data were included in the analyses. In cases where precise locality data were lacking, information on the political units (country, province, district) and altitude 17


Magnolia range (minimum and maximum altitude) within which the species has been reported were used to define the maximum potential range of the species. The latter approach was adopted for 32 per cent of the species considered. The Magnoliaceae checklist provided by Frodin and Govaerts (1996) was used as a basis for the study. An attempt was made to locate information on all of the species considered by these authors and for subsequent taxa described. An online search was conducted using Web of Science (http:// scientific.thomson.com/products/wos/) and Google to identify and obtain information regarding species of the Magnoliaceae described since 1996. In the analysis, we considered species, subspecies and varieties, but did not take into consideration hybrid taxa or those known only in cultivation. The taxonomy and nomenclature of the Magnoliaceae has been subject to considerable revision since the publication of Frodin and Govaerts (1996). As far as possible we have attempted to follow current nomenclature. It should be noted, however, that the species listed in this report cannot be considered a full checklist for the Magnoliaceae. A map of global forest cover obtained from satellite remote sensing imagery was used to define the potential distributional range of each species. For this purpose, we used the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Vegetation Continuous Fields (VCF) product (Hansen et al., 2003). This product depicts the percentage tree cover at a resolution of 500m using a supervised regression tree algorithm. The data are available through the Universityof Maryland Global Magnolia coriacea in Kunming Botanical Garden, se Yunnan Land Cover Facility China. Critically Endangered and facing an extremely high risk of (www.glcf.umiacs. extinction in the wild. (Photo by Richard Figlar) 18


Issue 91 umd.edu) and are also distributed as a MODIS land cover product. To produce the distribution map, forest was defined as those cells with at least 50 percent cover, based on the MODIS dataset, which uses a 500m equivalent grid in geographic Magnolia aromatica, s China. Endangered due to overexploitation projection (Han- of timber. (Photo by Maxx Echt and Huntington Botanic Gardens) sen et al., 2002). For each species considered, a single potential distribution map was generated using ArcView 9.1 Geographic Information System (GIS) (made by ESRI; see www.esri.com) software by combining data on distribution and forest cover. This was achieved by drawing a polygon around all of the individual locations recorded, or around the boundaries of political units in which the species has been reported. The resulting polygons for individual species were intersected with the forest cover map derived from MODIS data. The resulting maps indicate the current extent and distribution of forest in which each species is likely to occur.

Magnolia amoena, e China. Vunerable to extinction due to collection of the flower buds for medicine. (Photo by A. Schettler) 19


Magnolia

Magnolia amoena (Photo by Maxx Echt and Huntington Botanic Gardens)

It is important to consider a number of limitations when interpreting the results obtained. Note that the MODIS dataset does not differentiate between secondary and primary forests, or between natural and plantation forests. Furthermore, Magnolia species tend to be sparsely distributed in the forests within which they occur. For these reasons, the distribution maps obtained are likely to overestimate the potential area in which each species is likely to occur. As the current distribution of many Magnolia species is poorly known, it is possible that populations of some species exist outside the currently known limits of distribution. Also, this study did not consider the possible persistence of Magnoliaceae individuals outside forests. In such cases, it is possible that the approach adopted here may have underestimated the current extent of distribution of some of the species considered. The maps were used as a basis for assessing the risk of extinction, according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria (IUCN, 2001). Application of the criteria was undertaken by the Global Tree Specialist Group. Information was also assembled during regional workshops undertaken by the Group in Guatemala, Cuba and China. The workshop held in Kunming, China, in June 2004 brought together experts specifically to evaluate the conservation status of and prioritize action for threatened Magnoliaceae (FFI, 2004), whereas those in Guatemala (Vivero et al, 2006) and Cuba (Lazcano Lara et al, 2005) considered a range of tree species in different families. Where categories were available for endemic species considered in such regional assessments, these were followed. For most species, however, the potential area of occupancy was also estimated, using GIS. The measurement is given as ‘potential forest distribution’ in species summaries given in the list of globally threatened species. This potential forest 20


Issue 91 distribution represents the total forest area (estimated from the MODIS data) that occurs within the polygon describing the distributional range of the species. This figure is intermediate between the ‘area of occupancy’ and the ‘extent of occurrence’used in the IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN, 2001). This is because the figure calculated here represents the total forest area occurring within the distributional range of the species; in reality, only a proportion of this forest area is likely to be occupied by the species being considered (i.e. the area of occupancy). As the current distribution and status of most Magnolia species is poorly known, this approach was considered to provide the most accurate assessment possible with the information available. The IUCN criteria were applied conservatively; in other words, estimates of potential area of occupancy were applied to criteria relating to extent of occurrence. Information on the rate of forest habitat loss was obtained using statistics for change in national forest cover, obtained from the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) produced by the FAO (2006). The guidelines for using the Red List criteria produced by IUCN refer to ‘continuing decline’ as ‘a recent, current or projected future decline, which is liable to continue unless remedial measures are taken’. We considered that the criterion of ‘continuing decline’ was met if the area of forest cover was considered to be declining in the latest GFRA, as well as in previous assessments (as far back as 1990).

Results of the evaluation

This global evaluation of the conservation status of the Magnoliaceae has been one of the few attempts to evaluate an entire plant family. In total there are about 245 taxa described in the family and IUCN Red List categories and criteria have been applied to151 of these. A further 94 taxa are listed in this report as Not Evaluated (NE). The NE species are mainly those for which insufficient information could be found for mapping purposes during the course of the study. It is likely that some of the NE species are threatened in the wild given their limited range and the threats to forests in general, but this could not be confirmed during the evaluation. It is also clear that some of theNE species have wide distributions and maybe considered Least Concern (LC) when further information becomes available. The summary of results given in the table below indicates that 112 Magnoliaceae taxa are threatened with extinction in the wild according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable). A further nine taxa are considered to be Near Threatened and 10 are recorded as Data Deficient. These Data Deficient species have been recorded as such as there is insufficient information to apply the IUCN Red List categories andcriteria. Nevertheless, these taxa are considered to be threatened either in national Red Lists or based on 21


Magnolia suspected forest decline and so they are included in the list of globally threatened species. In total the results of this evaluation indicate that 131 Magnoliaceae taxa are threatened with extinction at a global scale. This is over half the known taxa within the family.

Summary of results Conservation Status

Number of Magnoliaceae taxa

Extinct

0

Critically Endangered

31

Endangered

58

Vulnerable

23

Near Threatened

9

Data Deficient

10

Least Concern

20

Not Evaluated

94

Current conservation measures for threatened Magnoliaceae

Information on the distribution and abundanceof threatened plant species is of primary importance in the planning and implementation of biodiversity conservation activities. The need for attention to be focused on rare and threatened species is recognized within the objectives and implementing mechanisms of the main international biodiversity conventions, notably the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD). Target 2 of the CBD Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) calls for a provisional list of threatened plant species by 2010. Target 2 underpins the other ambitious targets of the GSPC which relate to in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable use and trade in plants.

Southern China is the world center of diversity and distribution of Magnoliaceae, with over 40 percent of the species occurring there. A significant number are considered globally threatened because of habitat decline and, in some cases, overexploitation. Various measures have been taken over recent years to survey populations of the threatened species in the wild and undertake ex situ and in situ conservation measures. In one recent initiative, the workshop held in China as part of the Magnoliaceae evaluation prioritized action for14 species out of the 42 species assessed by Chinese experts. The priority species for action were identified because of their critically small numbers, or because of widespread use and collection, and some due to a lack of information. Five species out of these 14 have subsequently been the subjectof a conservation initiative (see Box 1).

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Issue 91 Box 1: Assessment and conservation for priority species of Magnoliaceae in China As part of the Global Trees Campaign, Fauna & Flora International, through its China office, has been working on a project for the assessment and conservation of five species of Magnoliaceae identified as priorities at the Kunming expert workshop held in 2004. The project, which has been conducted in partnership with the Kunming Institute of Botany, was supported by the Flagship Species Fund of Defra, the Stanley Smith Horticultural Fund and other funders. The project’s five target species were Magnolia sinica, Magnolia grandis, Magnolia sargentiana, Magnolia phanerophlebia and Magnolia coriacea. The project focused on in situ assessments of these species through a program of field surveys, and an investigation of the level of use of the species for horticulture and other purposes. The project has gathered a wealth of information about the populations, distributions and threats to these species, which will enable the development of conservation strategies to address their needs. Most notable was the discovery that M. sargentiana is far more numerous in the wild than previously thought, and its proposed threat category has been down‐graded from Endangered to Vulnerable. M. sinica, however, was confirmed as Critically Endangered, with just 10 trees found in the wild. Plans are now being developed to supplement this wild population through careful planting‐out of seedlings (all of known provenance) found in various local nurseries during the surveys. Dr GenLin Jiao

Various other initiatives are underway to conserve Chinese Magnoliaceae, through the work of universities, botanic gardens and government agencies. Coordination of efforts is clearly important. This will be enhanced by the forthcoming publication of China’s Strategy for Plant Conservation, the national response to the GSPC which is being prepared by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), State Forestry Administration (SFA) and the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). In other parts of the world Magnolia species are subject to a variety of conservation research and practical conservation measures, some of which have already been mentioned. In Colombia, the country with the second highest diversity of Magnoliaceae after China, the Magnolia Society is supporting field work to assess the status and threats to the endemic species – essential for planning conservation action. Research is also being undertaken on the Critically Endangered Magnolia wolfii, which is now reduced to a tiny population of less than 10 trees in 2 ha of remnant forest surrounded by coffee plantations. Magnolia wolfii is not known in cultivation. The life history and reproductive capacity of this species is being investigated with seed germination studied under natural and greenhouse 23


Magnolia conditions to facilitate future enhancement planting of seedlings in its natural habitat. [See also “Magnolia wolfii: Its discovery and conservation�, Journ. Mag. Soc. Int. 45(87) 2010] Various globally threatened taxa of Magnoliaceae are protected within National Parks and other forms of protected area. This is the case for the magnolias of Mount Kinabalu National Park in Sabah, which are listed as Least Concern. The limited distribution of these taxa would qualify them for listing as threatened, according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, but as their forest habitat is protected and there is consequently no evidence of fragmentation or decline they are considered to be safe by local experts. Another species that benefits specifically from protected area status is Magnolia pallescens, a species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Between 1960 and 1980 populations of this species diminished rapidly in some areas as a result of indiscriminate felling for cabinetwork. The Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve, with an area of 23 km2 was created in 1989 to protect the species. The examples provided highlight the type of activities that are underway to save magnolias from extinction. Different approaches will be required under different circumstances, appropriate for local needs. It is hoped that international efforts through, for example, the Global Trees Campaign, will build on the successes already achieved to secure a future for all globally threatened taxa.

Richard Figlar at base of Magnolia thailandica in Nam Nao National Park in central Thailand. Vulnerable and facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. (Photo by Wichai Wichitmethed) 24


Issue 91

Priority needs for further action

The information compiled in this report should be used to guide conservation policy both at an ecosystem and species level. Although incomplete, the information provides a useful baseline for planning conservation action. With over half the Magnoliaceae now recorded as globallythreatened it is essential that conservation efforts should be increased. Further efforts will be made by the IUCN/SSC Global Tree Specialist Group to collect information on the taxa currently listed as Not Evaluated. We will greatly appreciate receiving information on any of these taxa, whether or not they are considered threatened, so that a more complete evaluation of the family can be produced. As far as possible, information should be based on field assessment of the conservation status of the taxa and an analysis of the threats which are leading to decline of populations in the wild. This type of information will greatly enhance the design of appropriate conservation activities. Based on the information already available, urgent attention is required for the taxa considered to be Critically Endangered. Some of these Magnolias are reduced to a handful of individuals in the wild and it would be a tragedy if species are needlessly lost. It is important that all Critically Endangered taxa are represented in well-managed ex situ collections as an insurance policy for the future. At the same time, habitat protection needs to be reviewed and mechanisms put in place for local people to be involved in the in situ conservation of these globally important trees. Various species have the potential to be managed sustainably as a source of rural income. A thorough survey of ex situ collections of globally threatened Magnoliaceae taxa is a priority action that is now being undertaken by BGCI, building on information held within the Plant Search Database. The information on existing holdings and propagation techniques is potentially of great value in both species and habitat restoration. An important preliminary component of the BGCI survey of Magnoliaceae in cultivation will be to access information on species held in botanic garden collections in China, working with the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Botanic Gardens Committee and other gardens. The survey will enable the identification of precisely which Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered (EN) species are not yet held in ex situ collections and the implementation of action to ensure that integrated conservation measures for these species are developed. The potential for restoration of CR and EN species in their natural habitats will be explored. Magnoliaceae species will only be effectively conserved if their natural habitats are secure. A survey is required to establish which globally 25


Magnolia threatened taxa are not adequately protected within their natural habitat. Looking ahead, more information is needed on the impact of climate change on Magnoliaceae species. Given the, albeit preliminary, results of the global evaluation of the conservation status of this family and their global importance, there is great potential to use Magnoliaceae as indicators of the impacts of climate change. The information collected for this evaluation, on the conservation status and geographical distribution of the family, provides an important baseline for monitoring, which can be maintained and developed as a conservation resource available to all who wish to support the conservation of magnolias and their natural habitats.

References

Azuma, H., Thien, L.B. and Kawano, S. (1999). Molecular phylogeny of Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) inferred from cpDNAsequences and evolutionary divergence of floral scents. Journal of Plant Research 112: 291-306. Azuma, H., García-Franco, J.G., Rico-Gray, V. and Thien, L.B.(2001). Molecular phylogeny of the Magnoliaceae: the biogeography of tropical and temperate disjunctions. American Journal of Botany 88: 2275-2285. Baranova, M.A. and Jeffrey, C. (2000). Stomatographical features in the systematics of the Magnoliaceae. Bot. Zhurn.85: 35-49. Chen, H.F., Zhou, R.Z. and Xing, F.W. (2005). Magnolia shangsiensis(Magnoliaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China. AnnalesBotaniciFennici42(2): 129-131. Corral-Aguirre, J. and Sanchez-Velasquez, L.R. (2006). Seed ecology and germination treatments in Magnolia dealbata: an endangered species. Flora 201(3): 227-232. FFI (2004). Report of a workshop to assess the status of Magnoliaceae in China. Unpublished report, FFI, Cambridge. FAO (2006). The Global Forest Resources Assessment.FAO, Rome, Italy. Figlar, R.B. (2000). Proleptic branch initiation in Michelia and Magnolia subgenus Yulania provides basis for combinations in subfamily Magnolioideae. In: Liu, Y.H.,Fan, H.M., Chen, Z.Y., Wu, Q.G. and Zeng, Q.W. (eds) Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Family Magnoliaceae. Science Press, Beijing, China, pp. 14-25. Figlar, R.B. (2002a). Those amazing Magnolia fruits. Magnolia –J. Mag. Soc. 37: 7-15. Figlar, R.B. (2002b). Phyllotaxis in Magnolia fruits. Magnolia –J. Mag. Soc. 37: 26-28. Figlar, R.B. and Nooteboom, H.P. (2004). Notes on Magnoliaceae IV. Blumea 49(1): 87-100. Frodin, D.G. and Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist and Bibliography of Magnoliaceae. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 26


Issue 91 Gutierrez, L. and Vovides, A.P. (1997). An in situ (italics?)study of Magnolia dealbata Zucc. in Veracruz State: an endangered endemic tree of Mexico. Biodiversity and Conservation 6:89-97. Hansen, M.C., DeFries, R.S., Townshend, J.R.G., Carroll, M. ,Dimiceli, C. and Sohlberg, R.A. (2003). Global percent tree cover at a spatial resolution of 500 meters: first results of theMODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields algorithm. Earth Interactions 7(10): 1-15. Hansen, M., DeFries, R., Townshend, J.R.G., Sohlberg, R., Dimiceli, C. and Carroll, M. (2002). Towards an operational MODIS continuous field of percent tree cover algorithm: examples using AVHRR and MODIS data. Remote Sensing of the Environment 83: 303-319. Hirayama, K., Ishida, K. and Tomaru, N. (2005). Effects of pollen shortage and self-pollination on seed production of an endangered tree, Magnolia stellata. Annals of Botany 95(6): 1009-1015. Hunt, D. (1998). Magnolias and their Allies. International Dendrology Society and Magnolia Society. David Hunt, Sherborne, UK. Isagi, Y., Kanazashi, T., Suzuki, W., Tanaka, H. and Abe, T. (2000). Microsatellite analysis of the regeneration process of Magnolia obovata Thunb. Heredity 84(2): 143-151. Isagi, Y., Kanazashi, T., Suzuki, W., Tanaka, H. and Abe, T. (2004). Highly variable pollination patterns in Magnolia obovata revealed by microsatellite paternity analysis. International Journal of Plant Sciences 165(6): 1047-1053. IUCN (2001). Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland. Kikuchi, S. and Isagi, Y. (2002). Microsatellite genetic variation in small and isolated populations of Magnolia sieboldii ssp japonica. Heredity 88: 313-321. Kim, S., Park, C.W., Kim, Y.D. and Suh, Y. (2001).Phylogenetic relationships in family Magnoliaceae inferred from ndhF sequences. American Journal of Botany 88(4): 717-728. Kim, S., Nooteboom, H.P., Park, C.W. and Suh, Y. (2002).Taxonomic revision of Magnolia section Magnolia Law, Y.W. (1984). A preliminary study on the taxonomy of the family Magnoliaceae. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 22: 80-89. Lazcano Lara, J.C., Berazain Iturralde, R., Leiva Sanchez, A.T. and Oldfield, S. (eds) (2005). Memoriasdel Primer Tallerpara la Categorizaci贸n de Arboles Cubanos. May 2004. Grupo de Especialistas en Plantas de Cuba, FFI, Cambridge, UK, Jardin Botanico Nacional, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. Li, J. and Conran, J.G. (2003).Phylogenetic relationships in Magnoliaceae subfam. Magnolioideae: a morphological cladistic analysis. Plant Syst. Evol. 242: 33-47.

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Magnolia Matsuda, H., Serizawa, S., Ueda, K., Kato, T. and Yahara, T.(2003). Assessing the impact of the Japanese 2005 World Exposition Project on vascular plants’ risk of extinction. Chemosphere 53(4): 325-336. Nooteboom, H.P. (1985). Notes on Magnoliaceae, with a revision of Pachylarnax and Elmerrillia and the Malesian species of Manglietia and Michelia. Blumea 31: 65-121. Nooteboom, H.P. (1998). The tropical Magnoliaceae and their classification. In: Hunt, D. (ed.) Magnolias and Their Allies. International Dendrology Society and Magnolia Society, Sherborne, UK. pp. 71-80.Nooteboom, H.P. (2000). Different looks at the Classification of Magnoliaceae. In: Liu, Y.H., Fan, H.M., Chen, Z.Y., Wu, Q.G. and Zeng, Q.W. (eds). Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Family Magnoliaceae. Science Press, Beijing, China. pp. 26-37. Nooteboom, H.P. and Chalermglin, P. (2000). A new species of Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) from Thailand. Blumea 45(1): 245-247. Nooteboom, H.P. and Chalermglin, P. (2002). A new species ofMagnolia (Magnoliaceae) from Thailand. Blumea 47(3): 541-543. Qian, H. and Ricklefs, R.E. (2000). Large-scale processes and the Asian bias in species diversity of temperate plants. Nature 407: 180-182. Qiu, Y.L., Chase, M.W. and Parks, C.R. (1995a). A chloroplast DNA phylogenetic study of the eastern Asia eastern-North America disjunct section Rytidospermum of Magnolia (Magnoliaceae). American Journal of Botany 82(12): 1582-1588. Qiu, Y.L., Parks, C.R. and Chase, M.W. (1995b). Molecular divergence in the eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunct section Rytidospermum of Magnolia (Magnoliaceae). American Journal of Botany 82(12): 1589-1598. Ramirez, J.J. and Duran, R.C. (2005). Magnolia krusei (Magnoliaceae), a new species from Guerrero, Mexico. Novon15(3): 438-441. Ramirez-Bamonde, E.S., Sanchez-Velasquez, L.R. andAndrade-Torres, A. (2005). Seedling survival and growth of three species of mountain cloud forest in Mexico, under different canopy treatments. New Forests 30(1):95-101. Setsuko, S., Ishida, K. and Tomaru, N. (2004). Size distribution and genetic structure in relation to clonal growth within a population of Magnolia tomentosa Thunb. (Magnoliaceae). Molecular Ecology 13(9): 2645-2653. Shi, S., Jin, H., Zhong, Y., He, X., Huang, Y., Tan, F. and Boufford, D.E. (2000). Phylogenetic relationships of the Magnoliaceae inferred from cpDNAmatK sequences. Theor Appl Genet 101: 925-930. Sima Y.K., Wang J., Cao L.M., Wang B.Y. and Wang Y.H.(2001). Prefoliation features of the Magnoliaceae and their systematic significance. Journal of Yunnan University 23:71-78.

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Issue 91 Sima, Y.K., Yu, H., Chen, W.H., Shui Y-M., and Wang Yue-Hua (2006). Magnolia amabilis, a new species of Magnoliaceae from Yunnan, China. Novon 16(1): 133-135. Ueno, S., Setsuko, S., Kawahara, T. and Yoshimaru, H.(2005). Genetic diversity and differentiation of the endangered Japanese endemic tree Magnolia stellata using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers. Conservation Genetics 6(4): 563-574. Vivero, J.L, Szejner, M., Gordon, J. and Magin, G. (2006). The Red List of Trees of Guatemala. FFI, Cambridge, UK. Wen, J. (1999). Evolution of eastern Asian and eastern North American disjunct distributions in flowering plants. AnnualReview of Ecology and Systematics 30: 421-455. Xiang, Q.-Y., Soltis, D.E., Soltis, P.S., Manchester, S.R. and Crawford, D.J. (2000).Timing the eastern Asian – eastern North American floristic disjunction: molecular clock corroborates paleontological estimates. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 15(3): 462-472. Xiang, Q.-Y., Zhang, W.H., Ricklefs, R.E., Qian, H., Chen, Z.D.,Wen, J. and Li, J.H. (2004).Regional differences in rates of plant speciation and molecular evolution: a comparison between eastern Asia and eastern North America. Evolution 58(10): 2175-2184. Zhang, R.J., Zhou, R.Z., Xing, F.W. and Chen, H.F. (2006). Anew species of Magnolia sect. Tulipastrum (Magnoliaceae) from Fujian, China. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society (151): 289-292. Zhang, D.X. (2004). Magnolia lawiana Sima and H. Yu is a superfluous renaming of M. odoratissima Y.W. Law and R.Z Zhou. Zhou (Magnoliaceae). Taxon 53(4): 1063-1064. Editor’s Note: Magnolia Society International would like to thank the editors of the Red List of Magnoliaceae, published originally in 2007, for their generosity in allowing the reprint of this Introduction. Some of the Magnolia names have been changed from the original document to reflect current nomenclature. A complete, free download is available at http://www.globaltrees.org/downloads/RedListMagnolia.pdf .

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Magnolia

North American Plant Collections Consortium Magnolia Collection

Andrew Bunting, Curator, The Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College

Administered through the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) is a network of botanical gardens and arboreta located throughout North America. Its goals are to coordinate a continent-wide approach to germplasm preservation and promote high standards of plant collections management. NAPCC collections serve as an international reference collection for plant identification and cultivar registration. Collection holders make germplasm available for taxonomic studies, evaluation, breeding and other types of research. Many botanical institutions throughout the United States and Canada participate in the NAPCC. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University holds NAPCC collections for Acer, Carya, Fagus, Stewartia, Syringa and Tsuga. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix has collections of Agavaceae and Cactaceae. The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, holds Acer, Malus, Magnolia, Quercus and Ulmus. In Florida, Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Coral Gables holds Arecaceae (palm family) and cycads and the adjacent Montgomery Botanical Center also participates in palms and cycads. Relatively smaller institutions also participate. The Betty Ford Alpine Garden in Vail, Colorado, holds a collection of alpine plants native to Colorado. The Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, has an NAPCC Stewartia collection and the Mt. Cuba Center in Greenville, Delaware, holds Hexastylis and Trillium. Several genera are so large that it is very difficult for any one institution to hold all the species and cultivars, and some genera have such a wide geographic distribution that no one institute could offer the right climate and soil conditions for all the species. For example, the maples, Acer, are found throughout North America and into Central America. They exist throughout Europe, including the Mediterranean regions and spreading eastward to the Middle East and northern parts of Africa. Maples are found at high altitudes in the Himalayas and throughout China and all of southeastern Asia, including the rainforests. Because maples come from many different climatic parts of the world and because it is a very large genus, it was decided that the NAPCC collection would be held by many institutions throughout North America so that the breadth of the genus can be cultivated among the group’s varied climates. The NAPCC multisite collection for Acer ranges geographically from The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in the northeastern United States to the Atlanta Botanic Garden in the southeastern United States westward to the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in southwestern Canada, and several in between. Similarly, the collection of oaks, Quercus, is held by 30


Issue 91

Nursery at Smithgall Woodland Garden at Atlantic Botanical Garden (Photo by Ethan Guthrie)

19 institutions. Currently, multi-site applications are being developed for Paeonia, Hamamelis, Penstemon, cycads, palms and warm season conifers.

Forming the Magnolia NAPCC

From 2010-2011, I worked on developing a multi-institution collection for Magnolia. Like Acer and Quercus, this is a genus with a wide geographic range, including northern South America, Central America, North America, Cuba and parts of the Caribbean, China, India, Japan, South Korea and many other countries in southeast Asia and adjacent Pacific Islands east to Papua New Guinea. Therefore, it was necessary to solicit botanical institutions from a wide geographic range within North America to fully contain a diversity of species of Magnolia. This consortium also represents those institutions with cultivar-centric collections. Some botanic gardens and arboreta have both species and cultivars, like the Atlanta Botanical Garden, but others, like the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley and Quarryhill Botanical Garden, focus only on species for which conservation is the key issue. In order to develop an NAPCC collection for Magnolia, one of the first steps was to assess botanical institutions across North America to see which gardens already have holdings that are unique and then to determine which institutions would help represent the breadth of the genus. Over 20 gardens and arboreta were considered for the consortium. It is necessary for a garden with NAPCC status to meet several criteria, including sound plant records systems, labeling, interpretation and existence 31


Magnolia of a current collections policy, to name a few. At a future date other gardens will undoubtedly be added. The following 14 institutions were selected to form the consortium: University of Florida-North Florida Research and Education Center, Atlanta Botanical Garden, South Carolina Botanical Garden, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories andArboretum, JC Raulston Arboretum, Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Morton Arboretum, Powell Gardens, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Arboretum, Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College and Powell Gardens are all very cultivar-centric gardens, while University of California Botanical Gardens at Berkeley, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Hoyt Arboretum and University of British Columbia Botanical Garden focus primarily on wild-collected specimens with a conservation focus. The aforementioned all have at least ten species or more with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status. Quarryhill Botanical Garden has five species unique to the consortium and Atlanta Botanical Garden adds four more species.

Magnolia virginiana var. australis 'Santa Rosa', Bartlett Research Arboretum (Photo by A. Schettler) 32


Issue 91

Member Institutes of the Magnolia NAPCC

At the University of Florida-North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, there is a large cultivar collection of over 100 taxa, used for teaching and education purposes. Many of the southeastern Asian species will grow here, including M. figo, M. insignis and M. maudiae. The Research Center has a solid collection of “yellow magnolias� and many of the new, modern-day cultivars. Atlanta Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. This collection is strong both in Magnolia 'Candy Kane' at University of Florida- rare and threatened species, and North Florida Research and Education Center offers a varied cultivar collection. (Photo by Gary Knox) Seventy-three taxa make up the collection. Interesting species include Magnolia cavaleriei, M. changhungtana, M. conifera var. chingii, M. compressa and M. cylindrica. The collection is also strong in M. grandiflora and M. virginiana cultivars. South Carolina Botanical Garden is located on the campus of Clemson University. This collection has expanded through the generosity of Richard Figlar, Past President of the Magnolia Society International. The Botanical Garden has 74 taxa, with 8 having IUCN status. Many interesting species are represented, including M. conifera, M. ernestii, M. insignis, M. laevifolia, M. lotungensis, M. odora and M. Magnolia laevifolia (Photo by A. Schettler) yuyuanensis. 33


Magnolia Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories Arboretum is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is the largest collection in the consortium with 256 taxa representing 486 individual specimens. Because of its location, they are also able to grow many of the southeastern Asian species. Bartlett has strong cultivar collections of M. grandiflora, M. virginiana and M. テ様oebneri. Bartlett adds 80 unique taxa, Magnolia kwantungensis (Photo by A. Schettler) primarily represented by cultivars, to the consortium. Interesting species abound here, too, including M. biondii, M. ernestii, M. figo, M. fordiana and M. foveolata. The JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University is a small arboretum named in honor of the late professor and world-famous plantsman, JC Raulston. The garden is located on the edge of campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. Representing 115 taxa, they have a fine balance of species and cultivars. Like Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Raulston also has a strong cultivar collection of M. grandiflora and M. virginiana. Inter-

Magnolia yuyuanensis at JC Raulston Aboretum (Photo by A. Schettler) 34


Issue 91 esting species include M. kwangtungensis, M. laevifolia, M. lotungensis, M. platypetala, M. yuyuanensis and M. zenii. The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College is located just south of Philadelphia. The core collections have a strong ornamental component, featuring a large selection of “yellow magnolias” that represent over 25 taxa. At the heart of the collection is an old Magnolia ×soulangeana collection with many specimens over 80 years old. Original specimens of Arbore- Magnolias at Swarthmore (Photo from Scott Arboretum) tum introductions are found on the campus, including M. virginiana var. australis ‘Henry Hicks’ and M. denudata ‘Swarthmore Sentinel’. The Morton Arboretum is one of the coldest locations of any garden in the consortium. Located in the Chicago suburbs in Lisle, Illinois, the Morton focuses its collection on primarily wild- collected germplasm. Of the 56 taxa, there is a strong representation of M. stellata and M. kobus cultivars. Species of known wild origin include M. acuminata, M. denudata, M. liliiflora, M. macrophylla, M. officinalis, M. salicifolia, M. sieboldii and M. tripetala. Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri, is located 30 miles east of Kansas City. Like the Morton Arboretum, it experiences both summer and winter extremes in temperature. Powell has a large cultivar collection, particularly with many M. stellata and M. virginiana. M. grandiflora cultivars might be the Powell’s strongest collection. There are several cultivars of M. grandiflora which are unique to Powell and found in no other gardens in the consortium, such as M.g. ‘Barbara Hull’, M. g. ‘Kansas City’, M. g. ‘Lexington’ and M.g. ‘Odessamo’.

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Magnolia The University of California Botanical Gardens at Berkeley is a strong conservation-based collection, featuring magnolias from southeastern Asia, as well as Central American species. While the collection of 32 taxa is relatively small, the quality of the collections is immense. Focusing on wild-collected germplasm, Berekley has many interesting accessions, including M. amoena, M. chevalieri, M. dealbata, M.delavayi, M. globosa, M. guatemalensis, M. schiedeana, M. sharpii and M. sinica. Located nearby is the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This collection has both a strong species focus, as well as a sizeable cultivar representation of M. ×soulangeana and M. campbellii. Of the 90 taxa, 13 have IUCN status. Some of the interesting cultivars include M. c. ‘Betty Jessel’, M. c. ‘Langschlafer’, and M. c. ‘Strybing White’. The species collection is impressive and includes M. aenea, M. aromatica, M. biondii, M. champaca, M. chapensis, M. coco, M. conifera var. chingii, M. crassipes, M. guatamalensis, M. martini, M. platypetala, M. rostrata, M. wilsonii and M. zenii. Quarryhill Botanical Garden is a relatively young garden; however, it is incredibly rich in its holdings. In large part, the collection has been built by Director Bill McNamara as a result of his countless trips to Asia and has a particularly strong focus on Chinese taxa. Quarryhill has 33 species of which 11 have IUCN status and 5 are unique species within the consortium. Quarryhill is located on the grounds of the home of writer Jack London in Glen Ellen, California, in the heart of wine country in the Sonoma Valley. Some of the most notable species include M. aromatica, M. chapensis, M. compressa, M. conifera, M. dandyi, M. delavayi, M. fulva, M.

Magnolia lotungensis (Photo by A. Schettler) 36


Issue 91 guangxiensis, M. kwangtungensis, M. lacei, M. opipara, M. shiluensis, and M. sinica. Hoyt Arboretum is located two miles from downtown Portland, Oregon. The Hoyt is notable for its collection of 32 species. The Arboretum focuses on southeastern Asian germplasm, including M. campbellii, M. cylindrica, M. dawsoniana, M. doltsopa, M. ernestii, M. floribunda, M. foggii, M. insignis, M. lotungensis, M. megaphylla, M. stellata and M. wilsonii. The University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens is located on the edge of campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. This species-centric garden focuses on wild germplasm predominantly from China and southeastern Asia. The late Peter Wharton greatly contributed to the diversity of the garden. Some of the more interesting holdings include M. amoena, M. cavaleriei, M. conifera, M. fordiana var. fordiana, M. globosa, M. insignis, M. martini, M. maudiae, M. sinica, M. yunnanensis and M. zenii. They also have diverse cultivar collection of M. campbellii. Also located in Vancouver, British Columbia, is Van Dusen Botanical Garden. While this garden predominantly focuses on Magnolia cultivars, they do boast a modest collection of species with 5 that have IUCN status. There is a strong collection of Magnolia Ă—soulangeana cultivars.

Goals

While one of the primary goals of the consortium is to expand its holdings, the group will work on both one- and five-year goals, reporting progress to the Magnolia Group chair, Andrew Bunting. The one-year goals consist of: 1) Developing a relationship with an herbarium willing to hold documented vouchers from NAPCC collections. 2) Jointly committing to an accepted reference for Magnolia nomenclature so that there is a standardized consistency of nomenclature amongst the participants in the consortium. 3) Convening as a group for the first time at the APGA national meeting in June of 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. 4) Compiling data into a single and searchable database and performing annual updates of this database. 5) Conducting gap analysis to prioritize missing taxa that should be added to the consortium’s collection. 6) Developing a relationship with the Magnolia Society International and writing one article per year for the MSI Journal. 7) Developing protocols for an organized system of requesting and sharing seed and plant material between institutions in the consortium. 8) Developing Google Group for communications purposes and sharing documents. 37


Magnolia 9) Developing and implementing an annual survey on the member’s magnolia-related activities. Five year goals for the consortium include: 1) Developing a system for both participating and non-participating institutions to have access to germplasm of the consortium’s target species for ex situ conservation. 2) Acquiring 25% of all IUCN Red List Magnolias in NAPCC Magnolia Group collection. 3) Developing a list of all Red List magnolias that should be held in NAPCC collections. 4) Increasing the number of institutions growing Red List taxa in their collections. 5) Increasing the quantity of plants of Red List taxa grown in institutions (preferably increasing the number of plants representing different provenances to increase the genetic diversity being conserved ex situ for a given taxon.) 6) Promoting an increased exchange of plant material and connecting with other institutions (herbaria and/or universities conducting field research or collecting trips related to our target species) that may be able to provided wild-collected seed of Red List taxa through their own conservation and research activities. 7) Developing relationships with botanic gardens in areas of species diversity; i. e., South China Botanical Garden to acquire Chinese species. 8) Conducting gap analysis to prioritize threatened populations. 9) Increasing herbarium documentation by vouchering a flowering specimen of all accessions of wild origin and depositing in an herbarium(a) and voucher 25% of fruiting specimens of accessions of wild origin.

Gary Knox, Vice-President of MSI (Photo by Sue Hamilton) 38


Issue 91 10) Photo-documenting all taxa, including cultivars. 11) Regarding cultivars: a. Identifying which cultivars are rare and not available in the trade anymore. b. Developing tools for assessing the need to preserve cultivars for future breeding programs. c. Developing protocols for evaluating cultivars best suited for different climatic areas of North America; i. e., Powell Gardens-lower Midwest climate. d. Providing resources for people and institutions doing hybridization work.

Conclusion

The NAPCC Magnolia Group has provided the framework for a project that is currently being developed by the Magnolia Society International. The MSI has taken the model of the NAPCC multi-institution collection to embark on a global conservation project for Magnolias, The Global Consortium for the Ex Situ Conservation of Magnolias. Over the next year this consortium will seek global partners and enlist botanic gardens from around the world to hold the ex situ collections of magnolia with an emphasis on IUCN Red List magnolias. The work of the NAPCC Magnolia Group will play a key role in the development of this global consortium. The goals for the NAPCC Magnolia Group are robust. However, the consortium represents many of the very best botanical institutions through-

Magnolias at Swarthmore (Photo from Scott Arboretum) 39


Magnolia out North America. At the writing of this article the consortium is also working on recruiting both The Huntington Botanical Gardens and Library in San Marino, California, and the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Without doubt, this group will become stronger over time and have more capacity to follow through on the goals of the consortium.

Pink blooms of Magnolia sprengeri var. diva (left) eclipse those of M. dawsoniana (left, background) while the white flowers of M. doltsopa (center) punctuate the fog at San Francisco Botanical Garden. (Photo by David Kruse-Pickler) 40


Issue 91

New cultivar registrations 2011­­­–2012

Timothy M. Boland, Registrar, Magnolia Society International Executive Director, The Polly Hill Arboretum The following two cultivars were submitted by Charles Tubesing, Collections Curator, The Holden Arboretum, Mentor, Ohio, USA.

‘Grape Expectations’ (Magnolia salicifolia)

The original plant is in the garden of Lantern Court, a former estate of the Warren Corning family that is now a part of the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio, USA. The first plantings at Lantern Court were made in the early 1930s. The existing tree was accessioned (HA #80-623) in 1980 after Holden took over management of the garden. The tree was first identified as Magnolia kobus. In the fall of 2007, a magnolia enthusiast questioned the identification, and suggested that it was instead Magnolia salicifolia. The plant was checked against the published de- Original tree of Magnolia salicifolia 'Grape Expectations' scriptions in Spongberg’s monograph, and in 2008 the name was changed to Magnolia salicifolia. For a number of years before that, we had taken note of the fragrance put out by the flowers of this tree in years when they were not spoiled by frost. The fragrance is very similar to that of the flowers of Staphylea bumalda but more potent, a “grape soda” fragrance, for want of a more enticing descriptor. On a still day, the pleasant scent is evident some distance away from the tree.

In northeast Ohio, Magnolia salicifolia begins to bloom in early to midApril, which makes the flowers vulnerable to frosts most years. This is a tree that will be of interest and value to magnolia enthusiasts and collectors in areas where M. salicifolia blooms are not so subject to spring frost. The flowers are composed of six petaloid tepals and three sepaloid tepals. 41


Magnolia

Magnolia 'Grape Expectations'

Fully open flowers measure up to 6in (15cm) across from tepal tip to tepal tip. The petaloid tepals are pure white, 3in (7-8cm) in length, and 0.601.18in (1.5- 3.0cm) in width. The original specimen of ‘Grape Expectations’ is upright in habit with two main stems, 37ft (11m) in height, with a maximum branch spread of 26ft (8m) as of March, 2011. The larger stem of this multi-stem plant measures 8in (20cm) in diameter. The clone propagates readily from leafy summer cuttings. Plants produced from cuttings in 2006 have not yet flowered as of spring, 2011. In 2009, liners were distributed to Broken Arrow Nursery and Gossler Farm Nursery for their evaluation. In 2011, a small plant was given to the Polly Hill Arboretum, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA, for evaluation. The plant is believed to be hardy to USDA Zone 5.

‘String of Pearls’ (Magnolia Hybrid Origin)

The plant originated in the garden of Philip J. Savage, Jr. in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The tree was selected from a complex hybrid cross with the seed parent (Magnolia denudata ‘Wada’s Form’) and the pollen parent (M. cylindrica [Krossa Form] x M. denudata). The cultivar name refers to “the 42


Issue 91 appearance of expanding flower buds on short spurs along the branches, the flowers pure white.� (Savage) The flowers are made up of nine tepals in three whorls. Tepals in the basal whorl are smaller than the upper six, but the same color Magnolia 'String of Pearls' (white). The upper six tepals are in whorls of three, spatulate in shape, white with a pink stain at the base running 1.4in (3.5cm) up the center line of the tepal. The upper six tepals measure 4-4.3in (10-11cm) length to 2-2.3in (5-6cm) in width. Diameter of the fully opened flower is 8in (21cm) tepal tip to tepal tip. The tree growing at the Holden Arboretum and pictured here was grafted (chip bud) in the spring of 1995 with scion wood provided by Phil Savage. The tree as of May 5, 2011, is 28ft (8.5m) in height and 19ft (5.8m) in branch spread at the widest point. Diameter breast height (DBH) is 5in (12.7cm). The plant previously was published under this name in the Fall 2008 Fairweather Gardens catalog. The tree is available from: Rare Find Nursery 957 Patterson Road Jackson, NJ 08527 rarefindnursery.com support@rarefindnursery.com Magnoliastore Piet Vergeldt Boomkwekerij bv Horsterdijk 103

Magnolia 'String of Pearls' tree in bloom

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Magnolia 5973 PM Lottum The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)77 - 3663430 Fax +31 (0)77 - 3662758 http://www.magnoliastore.com E-mail: info@magnoliastore.com ‘Brooke Nicole’ (Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ x Magnolia ‘Marillyn’) This tree is the result of a hybrid cross made by Mark Haimes of Boulder, Colorado, USA. This hand-pollinated cross was made in 1998 with the seed parent as Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ (M. acuminata subsp. subcordata x M. ×soulangeana). The pollen parent was Magnolia ‘Marillyn’ (M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. kobus).

Magnolia 'Brooke Nicole'

The resulting seed was planted in 1999 and the plant first flowered in 2010. The flowers are 9in (23cm) in width, composed of six tepals that are 3in (7.6cm) wide with a beautiful pink blush. The leaves are 5in (12.7cm) wide and 7in (17.8cm) in length, and dark green. The plant has been produced by grafting onto M. ‘Yellow Lantern’. The tree is 9.5ft (2.9m) tall by 6ft (1.8m) wide and very symmetrical. The tree is named after Mark’s daughter, Brooke Nicole. Registration submitted by Mark Haimes, Boulder, Colorado, USA. The following two cultivars were submitted by Erland Ejder on behalf of the originator Karl Evert Flinck, Bjuv, Sweden.

‘Alnarp’ (M. acuminata ‘Fertile Myrtle’ x open-pollinated M. sprengeri ‘Diva’ seedling)

The tree originated at Arboretum Flinck, Bjuv, Sweden. The seed was raised and grown by Karl Flinck. The seed source was Phil J. Savage, Jr. The seed parent was M. acuminata ‘Fertile Myrtle’ and the male parent was from an open-pollinated plant of Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ and was similar to that clone in appearance. This magnolia forms an ascending tall tree. Original tree dimensions as of spring 2011: 13.5m (44ft) tall, 31cm (12in) DBH at 30 years of age in a cool climate and still growing strongly. The hardiness is reported at least 44


Issue 91 to -22C (-7.6F) and probably much lower. The flowers open in midseason just before and overlapping with leaf emergence. The flowers have 8-9 tepals, none sepaloid. Tepals are typically 12cm (4.7in) long, 5.5cm (2in) wide with a complicated blend of colors. The inside of the inner tepals is light pink (RHS 69 D), outside light red-purple (RHS 62C) to greyed-purple (RHS 186D) at top and Magnolia 'Alnarp' red-purple (RHS 63B) lower down. The outside of the outer tepals have yellow-green stripes (RHS 147C) on greyedorange (RHS 170B) background outside. Gynoecium is green, filaments yellow, and stamens red. The flowers have some similarity to the flowers of M. ×brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’ on the outside of the outer tepals, but a rosier color on the inner tepals. ‘Alnarp’ flowers for about three weeks and is free flowering. It is a very good variety as a park or street tree, combining strong growth and large eventual size with very good winter hardiness and beautiful and interesting flowers. Seed set is very limited. Plants grafted on M. kobus started to flower after five years. This magnolia hybrid has been named after the site of the southern campus of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Magnolia 'Alnarp' 45


Magnolia

‘Ingemar’ (Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ x Magnolia ‘Gold Star’) The tree originated at Arboretum Flinck, Bjuv, Sweden. The seed source was the Magnolia Society International seed exchange (Seed Counter). The seed was raised and grown by Karl Flinck.

The tree forms a very symmetrical, conical, medium size tree with a strong leader and ascending branches. Original tree dimensions (spring 2011): 10m (33ft) tall, 11cm (4in) diameter breast height (DBH) at 20 years of age in a cool climate. The hardiness is reported at least to -22C (-7.6F) and probably much lower. Magnolia 'Ingemar' The leaves have a light bronzy-tinge. The flowers come out in mid-season just as the leaves start emerging and flowering continues against the background of the new foliage. The flowers have three well developed sepaloid tepals, typically 2.8cm (1.1in) long, 1.5cm (0.6in) wide and 6-12 petaloid tepals, typically 8cm (3in) long, 4.3cm (1.7in) wide. There is a continuous variation between six and twelve within the same plant with a type value of nine. The petaloid tepals have a medium yellow color (RHS 11C to RHS 11B) outside and (RHS 11C) inside with some green on the outside of the outer three petaloid tepals. The sepaloid tepals are yellow-green (RHS 145B). Stamens and filaments are yellow (RHS 16C) and the gynoecium green. The flowers have a similarity to those of ‘Yel-

Magnolia 'Ingemar' 46


Issue 91 low Bird’, but ‘Ingemar’ has more tepals which gives the flower a more rounded, chubby appearance, a definite improvement. Also, the habit of growth is superior compared to ‘Yellow Bird’. ’Ingemar’ is very floriferous and flowers for about a month with a staggered flower bud development. The flowers keep a half-open posture for a long time before opening fully and disintegrating. No seed has ever formed, despite both open and hand pollination attempts. A seven-year-old plant grafted on M. kobus is 4m (13ft) tall, 7cm (2.7in) DBH. The tree started flowering at the age of three years. This magnolia has been named after Karl Evert Flinck’s son, Ingemar Flinck. Both ‘Alnarp’ and ‘Ingemar’ are commercially available from Lindhults Plantskola (Lindhult Nursery), Långås, Sweden. For more information contact: Erland Ejder, Gamlebytorg 4, 312 30 Laholm, Sweden, erland.ejder@telia.com

‘Mazeppa’ (seed grown from open-pollinated plant of Magnolia ‘Anne Rosse’)

The seed was collected by Philippe deSpoelberch of Arboretum Wespelaar in Belgium. The seed is to believed to be open-pollinated with an unknown male pollen source. The seed was collected from the accessioned collection plant, Magnolia ‘Anne Rosse’ (M. denudata x M. sargentiana var. robusta) accession #85-057-eis-201. The seed was received by John Weagle, Nova Scotia, Canada. The seed was offered from the Magnolia Society Seed Exchange (Seed Counter) in 1996. The original plant grows on the property of Dr. Toni Laidlaw, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The hardiness is reported at this location as USDA Zone 6a to -22C (-7.6F), but noted as possibly much hardier since the plant has shown no cold temperature injury to vegetative stems or flower buds. The plant grows in poor shallow mineral soil over rock. The flowering sequence is described as beginning in early May: May 7- perules sluffed, base to 1.5cm (0.6in) toward tip, flared, red-purple group (RHS 70A) shading 1.5cm (0.6in) to 3cm(1.1in) through to white 3-3.8cm (1.1-1.5in) to the tip; height 10cm (3.9in), width 3.8cm (1.5in). May 19- flowers open and ballooned, but not reflexed, to full open. Promi47


Magnolia nently, interior white, exterior basal third, red-purple group (RHS 70B/C) fading to white towards the tips to white mainly central mid-rib, red-purple group (RHS 70B/C); height 13cm (5in), width 12cm (4.7in). May 21- flower fully opened- rarely flat Magnolia 'Mazeppa' with mainly pendulous tepals, interior white. Exterior- basal, 5cm (1.9in) red-purple group (RHS 70B/C) fading quickly towards the tip to white with mainly central midrib, red-purple group (RHS 70B/C). Outer tepals six, alternately overlapping; individually fully open 11cm (4.3in) wide by 16cm (6.3in) long. Inner tepals, three, 8cm (3.1in) wide by 16cm (6.3in) long (colored as the outer tepals). The inner tepals often obscure the flowers’ reproductive parts. The other floral parts include the gynoecium, described as green with white, slightly pink-flushed pistils. The anthers are red-purple group (RHS 58A) at the base shading lighter towards the tips. The tips also red-purple group (RHS 58A) on exterior and interior sides; otherwise, interior side stamens white, though base again in red-purple group (RHS 58A). The flower is described as fragrant and smells similar to common lilac, Syringa vulgaris. The original plant is described with an upright habit, 8m (26ft) in height and 4.5m (15ft) in width. The plant may be commercial available soon from: Magnoliastore Magnolia 'Mazeppa' 48


Issue 91 Piet Vergeldt Boomkwekerij bv Horsterdijk 103 5973 PM Lottum The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)77 - 3663430 Fax +31 (0)77 - 3662758 http://www.magnoliastore.com E-mail: info@magnoliastore.com Selected, named, and registered by John K. Weagle, Nova Scotia, Canada

Errata

Please note that in Magnolia: Journal of the Magnolia Society, Issue 90, page 58, the typical bloom time for the following two cultivars, ‘Illini Gold’ and ‘Illini Moonlight’ is late April in East Central Illinois, not Southern Illinois as it was previously published.

Correction to page 59. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Simpson’s Hardy’ was registered by Betsy Simpson of Vincennes, Indiana, USA.

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Magnolia

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Issue 91

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Issue 91

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Magnolia

The Research Foundation of the Magnolia Society The Magnolia Society Endowment Fund needs your support Please send your contributions to: The Research Foundation Fund 518 Parker Street Gibson, TN 38338 USA Contributions are tax deductible in the United States.

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Issue 91

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