MAGNOLIACEAE - - Magnolia Family

Magnolia macrophylla Michaux — Bigleaf Magnolia

Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) - Tree with a maximum trunk-diameter of about 5 dm., the twigs pubescent; leaf-blades obovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 3—9 dm. long, the basal lobes broad; flowers fragrant; petals rather irregular in shape, but broad, the outer 19—23 cm. long; fruit-cone sub-globose or broadly oval, 6—11 mm. in diameter, deep-pink.

Habitat:

Mesic forests, primarily over limestone, other calcareous sedimentary rocks (calcareous shales, sandstones, etc.), or mafic rocks (east of the Blue Ridge), mesic hammocks in the Coastal Plain. The range of this species is often stated in such a way as to imply that it is a tree of the southern mountains. Actually, it avoids the Southern Blue Ridge, reaching its greatest abundance in the sedimentary rock Appalachians west of the Blue Ridge, particularly the Cumberland Plateau, and occurs east of the Blue Ridge only as a rare disjunct. The leaves are up to 1.1 meter long and 3.5 dm wide. The Gulf Coast endemic Magnolia ashei Weatherby is related and is sometimes treated as a variety or subspecies of M. macrophylla.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The range of Magnolia macrophylla (Bigleaf Magnolia)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Magnolia macrophylla (Bigleaf Magnolia)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.