石山木莲 shi shan mu lian

Magnolia fordiana (Oliver) Hu var. calcarea (X. H. Song) V. S. Kumar; Manglietia fordiana Oliver var. calcarea (X. H. Song) B. L. Chen & Nooteboom.

Trees, to 14 m tall, ca. 35 cm d.b.h., glabrous except for stipules. Young twigs 5-7 mm in diam. Stipules densely covered with straight appressed brown trichomes, adnate to base of petiole, scars 4-5 mm. Petiole 2.8-3.8 cm, dilated toward base; leaf blade obovate-elliptic to narrowly obovate, 14.5-20 × 3.5-7 cm, leathery and rigid, adaxially dark green, midrib abaxially prominent and adaxially impressed, secondary veins 14-17 on each side of midvein, abaxially visible to slightly prominent, and adaxially inconspicuous, base attenuate-cuneate, apex rounded with a 6-10(-14) mm acumen. Peduncle 5-8(-20) × 5-6 mm. Tepals 9, white; outer 3 tepals obovate-elliptic, ca. 6.2 × 2.5 cm, apex rounded; inner tepals spatulate, 4.5-5.5(-6) cm. Stamens many, ca. 1.2 cm; filament ca. 2 mm; connective exserted into a triangular ca. 1.8 mm tip. Perianth and stamens scar band 8-14 × 5-6 mm. Gynoecium broadly ellipsoid, 1.6-2 × ca. 1 cm; carpels 12-16(-30); ovules ca. 7 per carpel. Fruiting gynophore 9-11 × ca. 6 mm. Fruit ovoid to ovoid-globose, ca. 6 × 5 cm; mature carpels woody, dorsal face elliptic, dehiscent along dorsal suture; perianth and stamens scar band 1.2-1.3 × 0.7-0.8 cm. Seeds 2-5 per carpel, oblong, 8-10 × 5-6 mm.

● Forest margins, limestone areas; 600-800 m. Guizhou.

One of the co-authors (Nooteboom) considers that this taxon would be better treated as a variety of Manglietia (Magnolia) fordiana.

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