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MAGNOLIACEAE A.L de Jussieu
Dr. Avinash Gholave
Department of Botany
K.V. N. Naik Arts, Commerce and Science College Nashik.
Bentham & Hooker
Division: Phanerogams
Class : Dicotyledons
Subclass : Polypetalae
Series :Thalamiflorae
Order : Ranales
Family : Magnoliaceae
Geographical Distribution: Eastern Asia &
America, with 7 genera and more than 230
species.
Habitat: Temperate to Tropical rain forests.
Habit: Medium to large sized trees and shrubs.
Root: Tap root system.
Stem: Aerial, erect, woody, branched, soft
pubescent when young, glabrous and lenticellate
at maturity bearing essential oils (kaempferol).
Vessels without pits.
Leaves: Simple, alternate, petiolate, entire,
usually gland dotted with distinct odour, margins
entire, but opposite, decussate in (Illicium) and
pinnatifid in (Liriodendron).
Stipules large, sheathing entire leaf bud (bud scale
stipule), caducous, leaving a ringshaped scar at
the node.
Illicium
Michelia
LiriodendronStipule
Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary or
terminal.
Flower: Pedicellate, large, showy,
bracteate; bract spathaceous, bisexual
or rarely unisexual (Kmeria),
actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic
(Drimys), hypogynous, complete,
aromatic.
Thallamus well developed, elongated,
conical on which floral whorls are
arranged in partial or complete spirals.
Androecium: Stamens infinite (50–
200), all fertile, maturing centripetally,
polyandrous in spiral arrangement with
short filament and long prolonged
connective; anthers adnate, dehiscing by
longitudinal slits, introse (Magnolia) or
extrose (Liriodendron, Michelia)
Gynoecium: Carpels usually many
(Magnolia, Michelia) i.e. polycarpellary,
apocarpus; style usually absent; stigma
simple. Ovary superior, unilocular, 2–
20-ovuled arranged on marginal
placenta.
Pollination: Entomophilous (Beetles)
Fruit: Aggregate- Etario of follicles (Michelia) or
samara (Liriodendron) or united into a syncarp
(Aromadendron) or baccate (Kmeria)
Seeds: Large, endospermic with long thread like
funiculus, bright or orange testa, endosperm oily.
Dispersal: Usually by birds and mammals. In
Liriodendron by wind.
Floral formula: Br ⊕ ♀ P6-many Aα G2-α with
marginal placentation
Michelia
Liriodendron
1. Trees or shrubs with alternate simple leaves
2. Stipules deciduous, leaving a circular scar at node
3. Flowers usually solitary, bisexual, large
4. Floral parts numerous, spirally arranged on elongated thalamus
5. Tepals gradually passing from outer sepals to inner petals
6. Stamens laminar (adnate)
7. Polycarpellary apocarpus gynoecium
8. Seeds suspended by thread like funiculus
Magnolia grandiflora (Kavati chapha): Cultivated for fragrant and showy
flowers.
Michelia champaka (Sonchapha): Usually Cultivated near temples and in
gardens for its fragrant flowers. Flowers are used in extraction of essential
oils. Medicinally used in treatment of kidney troubles, goorrhoea and
blood cancer.
Drimys winterii (Winter bark): Cultivated for ornamental, fragrant flowers
and dye preparation.
Illicium verum-annisatum (Badal phul): Used in spices.
Liriodendron tulipiflora (Tree tulip):Wood is used as timber
Schizodendron grandiflora : Fruits are edible.
Based on the primitive features including spiral arrangements of
stamens and carpels, adnate stamens, follicle type of fruit, longer and
narrower elements with pits, monosulcate pollen grains and beetle
pollination, the family was considered as most primitive in various
systems of classification by various authors. This most primitive status
of the family was challenged by Cronquist, claiming Family
Winteraceae as most primitive. Family Magnoliaceae is allied to
family Annonaceae but differs in having definite number and
imbricate perianth lobes