Magnolia officinalis

Houpu Magnolia
Leaves in Arbortum in Rogów, Poland
Conservation status
Conservation Dependent (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Magnoliaceae
Genus:	Magnolia
Subgenus:	Binomial name
Magnolia officinalis Rehder & Wilson

Magnolia officinalis (commonly called Houpu Magnolia or Magnolia-bark) is a species of Magnolia native to the mountains and valleys of China at altitudes of 300-1500 m.

Identification

It is a deciduous tree growing to 20m in height. The bark is thick and brown but does not fissure. The leaves are broad, ovate, 20-40 cm long and 11-20 cm broad. The flowers are fragrant, 10-15 cm wide, with 9-12 (rarely to 17) white tepals, and appear from May to June.

There are two varieties:

• Magnolia officinalis var. officinalis, which has leaves with an acute apex.
• Magnolia officinalis var. biloba, which has leaves with a notch at the apex. This variety does not appear in the wild, and is only known in cultivation. It is possibly not a true variety at all, but actually a cultigen instead, though this has yet to be determined.

M. officinalis differs very little from Magnolia obovata; the only difference that is consistently observed between the two being that the fruit aggregate of M. officinalis has a rounded base, while that of M. obovata has an acute base. Further research may or may not eventually determine if M. officinalis should be treated as a subspecies of M. obovata (Hunt 1998).

Uses

The bark is stripped from the stems, branches, and roots and used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as houpu (thus the common names). This bark is highly aromatic and contains magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have demonstrated both anti-anxiety and anti-angiogenic properties. It has also been shown to reduce allergic and asthmatic reactions. Today, the bulk of bark used for commercial and domestic use is supplied by plants in cultivation.

References and external links

• Hunt, D. (ed). (1998). Magnolias and their allies. International Dendrology Society and Magnolia Society. ISBN 0-9517234-8-0
• Flora of China: Magnoliaceae (draft account)
• Photos of flowers and foliage