Scientific Name : Yulania liliiflora (Desr.) D. L. Fu
Common Name : Purple Magnolia, Woody-orchid, Red Magnolia, Jane Magnolia, Japanese Magnolia, Tulip Magnolia, Mulan Magnolia and Lily Magnolia
Chinese Name : 紫玉蘭、辛夷、木筆
Family : MAGNOLIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | Native to some provinces of China, including Chongqing, Fujian, Hubei, South Shaanxi, Sichuan and Northwest Yunnan. |
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| Meanings of Name | The specific epithet liliiflora indicates its lily-like flower. |
| Vitality | Purple Magnolia prefers full sun or partial shade with organically rich and well-drained soil. This species is tolerant to drought. |
| Ecology | Usually grows on the slopes of forest margins at 300 to 1600 m in altitude. |
| Application | The barks, leaves and flower buds of this species contain medical values and have been traditional Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years. The flower bud after being dried is called Biod Magnolia Bud. Flowers are aromatic and pungent, they also contain volatile oils such as citral, eugenol, and eucalyptol which could be used to treat rhinitis, headaches and other symptoms. Their flowers could process into analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents. It can also be used as grafting rootstocks for Magnoliaceae species, including Yulania liliiflora (Desr.) D. L. Fu and Michelia × alba DC.. |
| Purple Magnolia (Yulania liliiflora) and Saucer Magnolia (Yulania × soulangeana) | The flowers of Purple Magnolia and Saucer Magnolia are both majestic and purple. The flowering period, length of stipule scar, tepals and stem are unique characteristics to distinguish these two species. Leaves and flowers of Purple Magnolia appear at the same time, while flowers of Saucer Magnolia bloom before the emergence of leaves. The stipular scar of Purple Magnolia is about half as long as the petiole, while Saucer Magnolia’s is shorter, about ⅓. The outer tepals of Saucer Magnolia are ⅔ of the inner ones, while those of Purple Magnolia are much shorter and sepal-like. Moreover, Purple Magnolia is shrubby, whereas Saucer Magnolia is always tree-like with a notable stem. Purple Magnolia is rarely planted in Hong Kong. |
| Growing Habit | Deciduous shrub. |
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| Height | To 3 m tall. |
| Stem | Usually clustered. Bark greyish brown. Young branches greenish purple to pale purplish brown. |
| Leaves | Leaf blade elliptic-obovate to obovate, abaxially greyish green and pubescent along veins, base gradually narrowing along petiole to stipular scar, apex acute to acuminate. Stipular scar ~½ as long as petiole. |
| Flower | Peduncle thick and strong, with trichomes. Flower buds ovoid, pale yellow sericeous. Flowers appear at the same time with leaves, vase-shaped, erect and slightly fragrant. Tepals of inner 2 whorls, purple to purplish red outside and whitish inside, petal-like, elliptic-obovate, fleshy. Stamens purplish red. |
| Fruit | Gynoecium pale purple, glabrous. Fruit dark purplish brown, cylindric; mature carpels subglobose, apex shortly beaked. |
| Flowering Period | March to April in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting Period | August to September 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=8880
Scientific Names from Other Databases
―Flora of China: Yulania liliiflora (Desr.) D. L. Fu
―GBIF: Yulania liliiflora (Desr.) D. L. Fu