武当玉兰 wu dang yu lan

Magnolia sprengeri Pampanini, Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 22: 295. 1915; M. denudata Desrousseaux var. elongata Rehder & E. H. Wilson; M. denudata var. purpurascens Rehder & E. H. Wilson; M. diva Stapf ex Millais; M. elongata (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) Millais; M. sprengeri var. diva Stapf; M. sprengeri var. elongata (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) Stapf; M. wufengensis L. Y. Ma & L. R. Wang; M. wufengensis var. multitepala L. Y. Ma & L. R. Wang; Yulania denudata (Desrousseaux) D. L. Fu var. elongata (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) D. L. Fu & T. B. Chao.

Trees, to 21 m tall. Bark pale grayish brown or blackish brown, falling in small flakes when old. Twigs pale yellowish brown becoming gray, glabrous. Petiole 1-3 cm with small stipular scar; leaf blade obovate, 10-18 × 4.5-10 cm, abaxially finely appressed pilose at first, adaxially sparsely appressed pilose along midvein and secondary veins, base cuneate, apex acute to abruptly shortly acuminate. Flower buds erect, pale grayish yellow sericeous. Flowers appearing before leaves, cupular, fragrant. Tepals 12(-14), outside rosy red and dark purple striated, obovate-spoon-shaped to spoon-shaped, 5-13 × 2.5-3.5 cm, subequal. Stamens 1-1.5 cm; filaments purplish red, broad and flat; connective exserted and forming a mucro; anthers ca. 5 mm, slightly distinct. Gynoecium pale green, cylindric, 2-3 cm; styles rosy red. Fruit cylindric, 6-18 cm; mature carpels brown, flat and orbicular. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Aug-Sep.

● Forests, thickets; 1300-2400 m. Chongqing, S Gansu, Guizhou, SW Henan, Hubei, NW Hunan, NW Jiangxi (Xiushui), Shaanxi, C Sichuan, Yunnan.

This species is grown as an ornamental and used medicinally.