Magnolia amabilis Sima & Y. H. Wang; M. dianica Sima & Figlar; M. laevifolia (Y. W. Law & Y. F. Wu) Nooteboom; Michelia dandyi Hu; M. laevifolia Y. W. Law & Y. F. Wu; M. yunnanensis var. angustifolia Finet & Gagnepain; M. yunnanensis subsp. glabrifolia Y. K. Li & J. F. Zuo.

Shrubs, to 4 m tall. Twigs and leaves dense. Young twigs, buds, young leaf blade adaxial surfaces, petioles, and brachyblasts with dark red appressed trichomes. Stipular scar ca. 2/3 as long as petiole or reaching petiole apex. Petiole 4-5 mm; leaf blade obovate, narrowly obovate, or narrowly obovate-elliptic, 4-10 × 1.5-3.5 cm, leathery, abaxially with appressed trichomes, adaxially deep green and glossy, secondary veins 7-9 on each side of midvein, reticulate veins prominent on both surfaces when dry, base cuneate, apex obtuse to shortly acute. Brachyblasts thick and strong, 3-7 mm, with 1 bract scar. Flowers very fragrant. Tepals 6-12(-17), white, obovate to obovate-elliptic, 3-3.5 × 1-1.5 cm; inner tepals smaller. Stamens 5-10 mm; filaments white, ca. 3 mm; connective exserted and forming a 1-3 mm mucro; anthers 5-7 mm. Gynophore and gynoecium with reddish brown appressed fine trichomes; gynoecium ovoid to long ellipsoid, 1-1.3 cm; carpels 8-20, compressed globose, 3-4 mm; ovules 5 or 6 per carpel; styles ca. 1 mm, longitudinally furrowed. Fruit usually with 5-9 mature carpels; mature carpels compressed globose, 5-8 mm wide, with trichomes, apex mucronate. Seeds 1 or 2 per carpel. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Aug-Sep. 2n = 38*.

This species is grown as an ornamental and used for making perfume.

● Thickets; 1100-2300 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, SE Xizang, C and S Yunnan.