Magnolia officinalis and uses

Magnolia magnolia (commonly known as magnolia magnolia or magnolia bark) is a plant of the genus Magnolia, native to mountains and valleys in China at an altitude of 300-1500 meters.

Identification

It is a deciduous tree that reaches a height of 20 m.The bark is thick and brown, but not cracked.The leaves are broad, ovate, 20-40 cm long and 11-20 cm wide. Flowers are fragrant, 10-15 cm wide, with 9-12 (rarely to 17) white tepals, appearing from May to June.

The two varieties are:

• Magnolia officinalis var.The leaves of officinalis have a sharp apex.

• Magnolia officinalis var. Biloba leaves have a notch at the tip.This variety does not exist in the wild and is only known in cultivation.It may not be a true variety at all, but actually a cultivar, although that has yet to be determined.M.officinalis differs little from Magnolia obovata; the only difference consistently observed between the two is that the fruit aggregates of M. officinalis have rounded bases, whereas those of M.obovata have sharp bases.Further research may or may not conclusively determine whether M.officinalis should be considered a subspecies of M. obovata.

Uses 

The highly aromatic bark, stripped from the stems, branches and roots, is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is known as Magnolia officinalis (Magnolia officinalis; hence the common name).The traditional indications for use are dispelling dampness and resolving phlegm, reducing swelling and fullness.Today, most of the bark used for commercial and domestic use is provided by cultivated plants.

Magnolia

Magnolias are a large genus of about 210 to 340 species of flowering plants in the Magnoliaceae subfamily Magnoliaceae.It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.Magnolia is an ancient genus. Appearing before honeybees evolved, these flowers have theoretically evolved to encourage pollination by beetles.To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of magnolia flowers are very tough.Fossil specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating back to 20 million years ago, while plant fossils identifiably belonging to the family Magnoliaceae date back to 95 million years ago.Another aspect of Magnolia thought to represent the ancestral state is that the flower buds are enclosed in bracts rather than sepals; the perianth is partially undifferentiated, called tepals, rather than separate sepals and petals.Magnolia shares the tepal feature with several other flowering plants near the base of the flowering plant lineage, such as Amborella and Nymphaea (and many more recently derived plants, such as Lilies).The natural range of Magnolias is intermittent, with major centers in East and Southeast Asia and minor centers in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America.