桂南木莲 gui nan mu lian

Magnolia conifera (Dandy) V. S. Kumar; M. conifera var. chingii (Dandy) V. S. Kumar; Manglietia chingii Dandy; M. conifera subsp. chingii (Dandy) J. Li; M. tenuipes Dandy.

Trees, to 20 m tall. Bark gray and smooth. Vegetative buds and young twigs reddish brown pubescent. Stipular scar 3-5 mm. Petiole 2-3 cm, narrowly furrowed, at first appressed villous; leaf blade narrowly obovate to narrowly obovate-elliptic, 12-15 × 2-5 cm, leathery, abaxially at first grayish green and hispidulous or glaucous, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 12-14 on each side of midvein, base narrowly cuneate to cuneate, apex shortly acuminate to rotund. Peduncle 4-7 cm, slender, pendulous, with 1 bract scar basal to tepals. Flower buds ovoid. Tepals 9 or 11, 3 per whorl; outer 3 tepals usually green, elliptic, 4-5 × 2.5-2.8 cm, thinner, apex rotund; middle 3 tepals obovate-elliptic, 5-5.5 × 2.5-3 cm, fleshy; inner 3 or 4 tepals pure white, obovate-spoon-shaped, 4-4.5 × 1.5-2 cm, fleshy. Stamens 1.5-2 cm; connective exserted and forming a triangular mucro; anthers 8-9 mm. Gynoecium 1.5-2 cm; basal carpels 0.8-1 cm, abaxially 3- or 4-furrowed; styles ca. 2 mm. Fruit ovoid, 4-5 cm; mature carpels tuberculate, apex shortly beaked; endotesta dotted. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Sep-Oct.

Hills, wet places in valleys; 700-1300 m. N Guangdong, Guangxi, SE Guizhou, S Hunan, SE Yunnan [N Vietnam].

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