白兰 bai lan

Magnolia ×alba (Candolle) Figlar; Michelia ×longifolia Blume; M. ×longifolia var. racemosa Blume; Sampacca ×longifolia (Blume) Kuntze.

Trees, to 17 m tall, to 30 cm d.b.h. Bark gray. Branches and leaves fragrant after being crushed. Twigs patent, forming a broadly umbelliform crown; young twigs and buds densely pale yellowish white puberulous, trichomes gradually deciduous with age. Stipular scar nearly reaching middle of petiole. Petiole 1.5-2 cm, sparsely puberulous; leaf blade long elliptic to narrowly ovate, 10-27 × 4-9.5 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially sparsely puberulous, adaxially glabrous, reticulate veins very conspicuous on both surfaces when dry, base cuneate, apex long acuminate to caudate-acuminate. Flowers very fragrant. Tepals 10, white, lanceolate, 3-4 cm × 3-5 mm. Staminal connective exserted and forming a long tip. Gynophore ca. 4 mm; gynoecium puberulous; carpels numerous, usually partly undeveloped, forming a sparsely follicular fruit as torus elongates when mature. Fl. Apr-Sep. Usually not fruiting. 2n = 38.

Cultivated. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [native to Indonesia (Java)].

This hybrid is grown as an ornamental and used medicinally. The plant is usually not fruiting and is propagated by grafting.