Umbrella Magnolia - Magnolia tripetala (L.)
Magnoliaceae -- Magnolia family
Magnolia, with an ancient lineage, are among some of our best-loved flowering trees.
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Umbrella Magnolia Tree
This Umbrella Magnolia is Morton Arboretum accession 1051-59-3. 

Common names: Umbrella magnolia, Umbrella-tree   

Native to: NORTHERN AMERICA
Northeastern U.S.A.: United States - Indiana [s.], Ohio [s.], Pennsylvania, West Virginia
North-Central U.S.A.: United States - Oklahoma
Southeastern U.S.A.: United States - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia (2)
magnolia foliage and seedpod
Leaves are huge, up to a foot long, seedpod is about 3 inches long

 

The earliest flowering plants date back about 130 million years. According to Cronquist Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants, the most primitive of all living angiosperms belong to the subclass Magnoliidae. This subclass contains several primitive plant families, including the water-lily family (Nymphaeaceae), buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and Magnoliaceae. Plants in the magnolia family have the following characteristics:
  • Large flowers with numerous tepals
  • Numerous spirally arranged stamens at the base of a conelike receptacle bearing numerous spirally arranged carpels. At maturity the carpels develop into a woody, conelike aggregate of seed-bearing follicles. Each seed has a fleshy red outer layer (aril) and hangs from its follicle by a threadlike stalk. Other primitive floral characteristics are radial symmetry or actinomorphic (floral parts similar in size & shape), perfect (with functional androecium and gynoecium), complete (with all 4 floral parts: calyx, corolla, androecium & gynoecium), and floral axis (receptacle) elongated. The latter characteristic is clearly visible in the magnolia blossom. With all the woody, spirally arranged carpels (follicles), this axis truly resembles a conelike structure.

Umbrella Magnolia leaves
Umbrella Magnolia leaves give the tree its common name.
 

Magnolia seeds inside seedpod
Magnolia seeds inside seedpod

References:
1. USDA NRCS  

2. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program.
Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]
 

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