Tulip magnolia
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Tulip magnolia ( Magnolia × soulangeana ) |
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| Magnolia × soulangeana | ||||||||||||
| Soul.-Bod. |
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Habit of an older tree.
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Close up of the flower.
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A hairy bud.
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Flowers and leaves of the 'Rustica Rubra' variety.
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Seeds are formed relatively rarely. Here the follicles open and the red seeds become visible.
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mature seeds.
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The tulips Magnolia ( Magnolia × soulangeana ) is a hybrid of the genus of Magnolia ( Magnolia ) in the family of Magnoliaceae (Magnoliaceae). It is a cross between the Chinese Yulan magnolia ( Magnolia denudata ) and the purple magnolia ( Magnolia liliiflora ), which also comes from East Asia . Today, the tulip magnolia is the most commonly planted magnolia in Central Europe , which is why it is simply referred to as “magnolia” without any additional words.
description
The tulip magnolia is a deciduous tree or large shrub that can reach a height of nine meters. A spreading crown on a short and mostly crooked trunk is typical of this cross. The bark of the trunk is initially smooth and changes to a brownish-gray with fine-cracked bark as the plant ages.
The alternate , short-stalked leaves are twelve to 20 centimeters long and up to six centimeters wide. They are smooth-edged and have a matt, fresh green color on the top. On the underside, the leaves are a little lighter and somewhat hairy.
The flower buds are created in autumn; it is enclosed by two silky hairy bracts resembling bud scales. The flowers for which this ornamental tree is planted appear before the leaves appear in April to May. They are terminal and upright on the branches. Even after opening they are still inclined like a bell. The flower color varies depending on the variety from white to light pink to purple. The inside of the flower is often lighter in color, while the outside and base of the flowers are darker red-violet. The three outer petals are smaller and slightly greenish, followed by six to twelve inner petals. In the center of the flower there are many red stamens and many carpels (in an indefinite number). From the purple magnolia, the tulip magnolia inherited the property of occasionally developing further flowers during the summer.
Seeds are only rarely developed, usually the entire fruit axis is still green. It turns pinkish-red to maturity if fertilization has occurred. In every follicle fruit , usually only a few follicles actually contain seeds. After ripening, the red seeds hang on long seed threads from the follicle fruit.
Garden culture
The first crossing was achieved by Étienne Soulange-Bodin in 1820. The hybrid quickly became popular as an ornamental tree, and the first plants were introduced to England as early as 1827. During the following time backcrosses with the parent species, but also with other magnolias from the Yulania section, were carried out again and again . Today there is a wide range of varieties that stand in the characteristics between the parent species. They differ mainly in their flower color, the flowering time and the height of growth. However, some very old hybrids are still among the best-known varieties:
- 'Amabilis' - white flowers, grown in France in 1865.
- 'Alexandrina' - introduced by Cels in Paris in 1831, this variety, with its white flowers with a red base, is the most common type in Europe.
- 'Lennéi' - a variety named after the famous garden architect Peter Joseph Lenné . The flowers are dark purple on the outside.
- 'Lennéi Alba' - this variety, on the other hand, has pure white petals.
- 'Picture' - petals dark purple on the outside, the flowers can be up to 35 centimeters in diameter. Bred in Japan in 1925.
- 'Rustica Rubra' - with small, rather dark red colored flowers and strong growth. Achieved in the Netherlands around 1893.
As a garden plant, the tulip magnolia needs fresh, slightly acidic soil; it blooms most profusely in sunny locations. Late frosts can destroy the flowers in spring, otherwise the plant is hardy in Central Europe. The horticultural propagation takes place via cuttings , specialized companies achieve a rooting rate close to 100%.
Systematics and genetics
Both parent species are now placed in the same subsection of the genus Magnolia : Subsection Yulania in the subgenus Yulania . In the past, one of the parents, the purple magnolia, was thought to be more closely related to the North American cucumber magnolia .
The Yulan magnolia is hexaploid with a chromosome number of 6n = 114, Magnolia liliiflora is tetraploid (4n = 76). Hybrids between the two can be pentaploid (5n = 95), but irregularities in mitosis can also result in higher or lower chromosome numbers. Since plants with higher chromosome numbers often have larger flowers, thicker petals and greater vigor, they were selected and used for crosses. The hybrid Magnolia × soulangeana is usually sterile, but occasionally some seeds are produced that open the way to other hybrids with complicated and irregular sets of chromosomes. For example, the varieties 'Lennei' 133, 'Picture' 143 and 'Rustica Rubra' have 156 chromosomes.
Sources and further information
Most of the information in this article is taken from Callaway (1994) and Kelly, Hillier (1997); the following sources are also cited:
- ↑ Mac Cárthaig, D., Spethmann, W. (2000): Krüssmanns Gehölzvermehrung . Parey book publisher. P. 289ff ISBN 3-8263-3221-0
- ^ Magnolia Society International (2004): Classification of Magnoliaceae . Adapted from: Figlar & Nooteboom (2004): Notes on Magnoliaceae IV magnoliasociety.org
literature
- DJ Callaway: The World of Magnolias . Timber Press 1994, pp. 204ff. ISBN 0-88192-236-6
- J. Kelly, J. Hillier (Eds.): The Hillier Trees & Shrubs . 1st edition, Braunschweig, Thalacker-Medien 1997. P. 393f ISBN 3-87815-086-5
- T. Domoto: Magnolia × soulangiana hybrids . In: Journal of the California Horticultural Society 23 (1): 45-57, 1962.
- NG Treseder: Magnolias . London, Faber and Faber 1978.
