星花玉兰 xing hua yu lan

Basionym: Magnolia stellata Maximowicz, Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 3, 17: 418. 1872; M. sinostellata P. L. Chiu & Z. H. Chen; Yulania sinostellata (P. L. Chiu & Z. H. Chen) D. L. Fu.

Shrubs, 0.3-2.4 m tall. Twigs slender, lenticellate; old twigs grayish brown; annual and biennial twigs green. Stipular scar ca. 1/2 as long as petiole. Petiole 3-12 mm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic, narrowly elliptic, or obovate-elliptic, 7-12 × 2.5-4 cm, abaxially glabrous or white pubescent in vein axils, adaxially glabrous, midvein abaxially slightly impressed, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of midvein, base cuneate, apex acuminate to caudate. Peduncle 3-5 mm, densely yellow sericeous. Flower buds 1.5-2 cm. Flowers appearing before leaves, 5-7 cm in diam. Tepals 12-15(-18), in 4 or 5(or 6) whorls, pale red at first but later gradually becoming white with red on outside on apical part or only at middle, oblanceolate to obovate-spoon-shaped, 3.3-4.5 × 1.3-1.8 cm, fleshy, apex rounded to nearly acute. Stamens 86-99, 7-9(-10) mm; filaments 1-2(-3) mm; anthers 6-7 mm. Gynoecium cylindric, 6-8 × 2-4 mm; carpels many, narrowly ovoid, ca. 2 mm, distinct, glabrous; stigmas ca. 1.5 mm. Fruit not seen. Fl. Feb.

Sparse forests; ca. 1000 m. Naturalized in Zhejiang (Jingning) [native to Japan].

This species is commonly cultivated in Jiangsu, Shandong, and Zhejiang.

In FRPS (30(1): 139. 1996) the name Magnolia tomentosa Thunberg, nom. utique rej., was misapplied to this species.

One of us (Xia) considers that Yulania sinostellata is a distinct species.

After publication of the Flora of China treatment, it was noted that the cited basionym “Magnolia stellata Maximowicz” itself is a new combination based on Buergeria stellata Siebold & Zuccarini (1845), so Yulania stellata (Maximowicz) N. H. Xia, Fl. China 7: 75. 2008" is invalid.