Magnolia × alba

White Champaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae
Genus: Magnolia
Subgenus: M. subg. Yulania
Section: M. sect. Michelia
Subsection: M. subssect. Michelia
Species: M × alba [1]
Binomial name
Magnolia × alba
(DC.) Figlar[1][2]
Synonyms

Michelia longifolia Blume
Michelia × alba DC. (basionym)
Sampacca × longifolia (Blume) Kuntze

List sources : [2][3]

Magnolia × alba, commonly known as the white champaca, is a flowering plant of hybrid origin found nowhere in the wild and cultivated for ornamental use. It is a hybrid of Magnolia champaca and Magnolia montana.[2]

Contents

Names

The white champaca is known by various names in English and other languages, including pak lan (in Hawaiian and Cantonese).

Description

Magnolia × alba matures to 30 meters with evergreen leaves; the flowers have a count of 12 tepals.

Uses

Magnolia × alba is wideley cultivated as an ornamental in Asia, particularly tropical and subtropical regions of China and Southeast Asia for the strongly fragrant flowers.[4] An essential oil is extracted from the flowers. In China, where it is known as bai lan (白蘭), the flowers are used to prepare yulan tea.[2] In traditional Chinese medicine, the flowers are used to move qi and relieve cough.[5]

Gallery

Images of Magnolia × alba
An illustration as depicted in Flora Javae; Magnolia × alba was first classified as Michelia Longifolia [sic] (BLUME, 1829)  
A garden specimen as grown in Maui, Hawaii  
A dissected view of a flower presenting the stamens and carpels of which appear characteristic of the genus  
A top view of a flower at climax; the flowers of M. × alba are noted for their fragrance  
Several stages of the bud and flower; note: this image does not depict complete graduation  

References

  1. ^ a b  Magnolia × alba was first identified and published in Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Family Magnoliaceae. Guangzhou, China 21. 2000 "Plant Name Details for Magnolia × alba". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=20011680-1. Retrieved May 18, 2011. "Hybrid Parentage: (Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre × Magnolia montana (Blume) Figlar) ; Remarks: also published [later] by Figlar & Noot. in Blumea. 49(1): 96 (2004)" 
  2. ^ a b c d  GRIN (April 19, 2007). "Magnolia × alba information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?452629. Retrieved May 18, 2011. 
  3. ^ Govaerts, R., compiler; R.Figlar (2006), H.Nooteboom (1996), S.Spongberg (1996), reviewers. "Michelia × longifolia Blume". World Checklist of Magnoliaceae. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=126744. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  4. ^ Valder, Peter (1999), The garden plants of China, Timber Press 
  5. ^ Zhou, Jiaju; Xie, Guirong & Yan, Xinjian (2010), Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines - Molecular Structures, Pharmacological Activities, Natural Sources and Applications: Isolated Compounds T-z, References for Isolated Compounds Tcm Original Plants and Congeners, China: Springer 

External links

Wikispecies has an entry on: Magnolia × alba. 
Media related to Magnolia × alba at Wikimedia Commons

See also