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Magnolia hypoleuca

Common name:		Family:	Magnoliaceae
Author:	Siebold.&Zucc.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Magnolia obovata (Thunb.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat:	Forests in mountains all over Japan[58, 200].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	M. officinalis[E,G,H,HORTIPLEX]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ch'Uan Pu [E], Chinese Magnolia [E], Choon Pok [E], Chu Che [E], Fou Lan Lo Le [E], Hou P'O [E], Magnolia [E], Magnolier Officinal [E], Mu Lan [E], Nd [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	hypoleuca = white underneath;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Magnoliales. Magnolia family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Britain; China; France; Japan; Spain

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 15m by 6m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower in June. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Beetles. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Leaves.

The young leaves and flower buds are boiled and eaten as a vegetable[183]. Older leaves are powdered and sprinkled on food as a flavouring[183]. Whole dried leaves are placed on a barbecue, filled with miso, leeks, daikon and shitake then broiled[183]. The delightful aroma of the leaves permeates the miso mixture which is then served with rice[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anthelmintic; Antiemetic; Appetizer; Deobstruent; Emmenagogue; Expectorant; Ophthalmic; Sedative; Stomachic; Tonic.

Anthelmintic, antiemetic, appetizer, deobstruent, emmenagogue, expectorant, ophthalmic, sedative, stomachic, tonic[174, 178]. This plant is contra-indicated for pregnant women[174].

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - soft, fine grained, easily worked. Used for furniture, engraving, utensils etc[11, 46, 61, 178].

Cultivation details

Best grown in a warm position in a moderately rich free soil of an open texture[1]. Dislikes alkaline soils[202]. Tolerates alkaline soils so long as they are deep and rich in humus[188]. The branches are brittle so a sheltered position is required[200]. Very tolerant of atmospheric pollution[200].
Hardy to about -20°c[200].
The fleshy roots are easily damaged and any transplanting is best done during a spell of mild moist weather in late spring[182].
A very ornamental plant[1]. The flowers are powerfully scented[245].
Cultivated for its medicinal bark in Japan[178].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame[200]. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors.
Layering in early spring[200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are powerfully scented[245].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Magnolia obovata (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Magnolia officinalis (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Magnoliaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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