天女花 tian nü hua

Basionym: Magnolia sieboldii K. Koch, Hort. Dendrol. 4. 1853, based on M. parviflora Siebold & Zuccarini, Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(2): 187. 1845, not Blume, Bijdr. 9. 1825; M. oyama Millais, nom. illeg. superfl.; M. verecunda Koidzumi, nom. illeg. superfl.

Trees, to 10 m tall. Annual twigs pale grayish brown, slender, ca. 3 mm in diam., silvery gray appressed villous at first. Stipular scar nearly 1/2 as long as petiole. Petiole 1-4(-6.5) cm, brown and white appressed villous; leaf blade obovate to broadly obovate, (6-)9-15(-25) × 4-9(-12) cm, membranous, abaxially glaucous and usually covered with brown and white multicellular trichomes, scattered golden yellow dots, and white long sericeous hairs along midvein and secondary veins, adaxially curved pilose along midvein and secondary veins, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of midvein, base broadly cuneate, truncate, or subcordate, apex abruptly narrowly acute to shortly acuminate. Peduncle 3-7 cm, densely brown and grayish white appressed villous. Flowers appearing at same time as leaves, cupular at first but plate-shaped at anthesis, 7-10 cm in diam., erect or slightly nodding, fragrant. Tepals 9, white, subequal; outer 3 tepals oblong-obovate to obovate, 4-6 × 2.5-3.5 cm, base with white trichomes, apex broadly rounded to rounded; inner 6 tepals smaller, base gradually narrowing to shortly clawed. Stamens purplish red, 0.9-1.1 cm; connective not exserted; filaments 3-4 mm; anthers ca. 6 mm, thecae adnate, apex slightly emarginate. Gynoecium green, ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 cm. Fruit red when mature, obovoid to ellipsoid, 2-7 cm; mature carpels narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 1 cm, dehiscing into 2 valves along dorsal sutures, apex with a ca. 2 mm beak. Seeds cordate, 6-7 × 6-7 mm, apex finely tipped; testa red; endotesta brown. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Sep-Oct.

Forests; 1600-2000 m. Anhui, N Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].

This species is grown as an ornamental. It is used medicinally and for timber.