Scientific Name : Yulania × soulangeana (Soul.-Bod.) D. L. Fu
Common Name : Saucer Magnolia
Chinese Name : 二喬木蘭（紫玉蘭）
Family : MAGNOLIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | South-Central China. |
|---|---|
| Application | Saucer Magnolia is highly valued as an ornamental tree by virtue of its spectacular blossoms. In the beginning of spring, the tree blossoms and the flamboyant floral display immediately draw visitors' attention. Its delightful perianth colour and aromatic smell seems mildly remind people the arrival of spring, the season of resilience. However, the flowering time could be related to and varied among cultivars. From our observations, some Saucer Magnolia blossom in autumn or even early. |
| Meanings of name | The specific epithet soulangeana commemorates Etienne Soulange-Bodin (1774-1846), a French botanist who astonishingly hybridized the tree from Magnolia denudata (Yulan Magnolia) and M. liliflora (Purple Magnolia). |
| Magnoliaceae |
From the perspective of plant taxonomy, Magnoliaceae is a family composed of many basal flowering plants whose flower structures are rather primitive and differed from those in advanced families (e.g. Asteraceae). The primitive characteristics are: 1) their petals and sepals are fused and indistinct (termed as tepals); 2) androecium are spirally clustered at an enlarged receptacle while gynoecium is located at above with many unfused carpels; 3) solitary flowers are large, fragrant and glamorous; 4) the flowers are enclosed in bracts. Floral morphology is the key to identify members of Magnoliaceae. For example, sizable flowers in white always refer to Magnolia grandiflora (Bull Bay) or Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata). The flowers of Saucer Magnolia and Purple Magnolia are both majestic and purple. To distinguish the trees, the outer tepals of Saucer Magnolia are ⅔ of the inner ones, while those of Purple Magnolia are much shorter and sepal-like. Moreover, Saucer Magnolia is always tree-like with a prominent stem, whereas Purple Magnolia is shrubby. In Hong Kong, Purple Magnolia is rarely planted and most of them marked as Purple Magnolia should be instead Saucer Magnolia. |
| Growing habit | Deciduous tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 10 m. |
| Stem | Bark light grey, smooth, lenticellate. Branchlets glabrous, with leaf scars. |
| Leaves | Leaves alternate, papery, abaxially pubescent, obovate, apex short acute, base cuneate, entire, narrowed gradually, lateral veins 7-9. Petiole pubescent, with stipular scar around ⅓ as long as petiole. |
| Flower | Hermaphroditic. Flower buds ovoid, yellowish green, covered with dense hairs. Flowers appearing before leaves. Tepals pale red to dark red, outer 3 tepals always ⅔ as long as inner ones. Stamens many, laterally dehiscent, gynoecium cylindrical, apocarpous, many. |
| Fruit | Aggregate fruit, follicles, ovoid or obovoid, black when ripe. Seed dark brown, obovate, compressed laterally. |
| Flowering period | Februaruy to March in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | September to October in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website :
https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=6597
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Yulania x soulangeana (Soulange-Bodin) D.L. Fu, J.
― Plants of the World Online : Magnolia x soulangeana Soul-Bod.