Magnolia kisopa (Buch.-Ham. ex DC.) Figlar

Magnolia species are shrubs or trees. Leaves simple, alternate, entire, buds enclosed in large convolute stipules which are connate in pairs, where stipules are free or adnate from petiole. Flowers bisexual, terminal, solitary, Sepals 3-5, Petals 6-21 in 3 series. Stamens numerous, filaments flat with no or little interval between them and carpels, Gynoecium sessile, Carpels many persistant 2 ovuled with stigmas running along their ventral side, rarely more, fruiting carpels few, crowded dehiscing along dorsal or ventral suture, sometimes woody and circumcissile. Fruit with an elongated axis, seeds pendulous with a long cottony cord, 1 or more in each carpel.

Magnolia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: July-September/October-January.

Seeds dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal or dehiscence.

Deciduous trees, about 10-18 m tall. Bark gray, plain with thin lenticelled branchlets, glabrous, stipular scars are prominent on the branchlets, buds grey, sericeous. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate-elliptic, lanceolate-elliptic or oblong, 12-24 × 3-10 cm across, base abruptly cuneate or rarely rounded, margin entire, apex acute or shallow acuminate, thinly coriaceous, shining glabrous above, paler dull, glabrous beneath, turning yellow before falling, lateral veins 10-15 on either side of the midrib, slightly arched towards the outer margins, reticulate veinlets very close and fine, petiole pubescent, about 1.5-3 cm long, stipules oblong, about 1.5 cm long, pubescent with grey or rusty brownish hairs, stipular scars usually about 1-2.5 cm long. Flowers bisexual, solitary, appearing with the leaves, white or cream or pale yellow, pleasantly fragrant, about 3-5 cm across, buds about 1.2 cm across, Perianth parts about 12-15, obovate-oblong or oblanceolate, apex truncate, glabrous, 2-3 x 0.5-0.8 cm across, Sepals narrow-obovate, petals scarcely narrower than the sepals. Stamens numerous, shorter than the gynoecium, carpels silky hairy, styles recurved, Gynoecium obovoid or ellipsoid, Fruiting receptacle 3-5 x 2 cm across. Fruiting carpels elliptic-ovoid, sessile, compressed, rounded near the base, with beaks near at the apex, about 8-11 x 6-7 mm across, seeds 3-4, glossy red, obovoid.

Susceptible to insect pests.

Subtropical forests at an altitude of about 1400-1800 m.

Wood yellowish, used for making door frames and planks, cultivated in Shillong.