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- Magnolia acuminata
Magnolia acuminata — cucumber-tree
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Cucumber tree is more common in southern New England than in northern areas. Its 6-12 inch long (0.3 m) leaves are scattered along the branches, and its large, white flowers have a pleasant fragrance. This tall magnolia makes a fine specimen and shade tree; thus, many cultivars have been bred. However, its thin bark makes it vulnerable to injury.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, shrublands or thickets
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 80–250 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 40–100 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- red
- Bud scale number
- there is one scale on the winter bud, and it covers the scale like a cap
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud scale number
- there is one scale on the winter bud, and it covers the scale like a cap
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
- Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
- Leaf scar arrangement
- there is one leaf scar per node on the stem or twig
- Pseudoterminal bud
- there are no pseudoterminal buds on the tips of the branches
- Superposed buds
- there are no superposed buds on the branch
- Terminal bud
- the branch has a terminal bud on it
- Winter bud distribution
- the winter buds are distributed fairly evenly along the twig
- Winter bud scale hairs
- the winter bud scales are hairy
- Winter bud scales
- the winter bud is perulate (partially or completely covered with one or more scales)
- Winter bud stalks
- the winter buds have no stalks
-
Flowers
- Carpels fused
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
- Flower petal color
-
- white
- yellow or green
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
- Hypanthium present
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- Number of pistils
- 6 or more
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Fruit tissue origin
- there are no flower parts that form part of the fruit
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an aggregate (composed of multiple fused ovaries from one flower)
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- there are no wings on the fruit
-
Glands or sap
- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf has hairs on it
- the underside of the leaf has no hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
- Leaf blade length
- 80–250 mm
- Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the main veins of the leaf blade are pinnate (the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the main central vein) and non-arcuate (not arched towards the leaf tip)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base toward the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 40–100 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
- Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk shape
- the leaf stalk is not flattened
- Leaf teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant, or they fall off as the leaf expands
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- shrublands or thickets
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
- Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
- Lenticels on twigs
- there are clearly lenticels on the twigs
- Pith shape
- the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
- Pith type
- the pith inside the twig is solid, completely filled with spongy tissue
- Short shoots
- there are no peg- or knob-like shoots present
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hairs
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
- Twig scales
- there are no scales on the twig surface
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- red
- Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Magnolia tripetala:
- leaves crowded near tip of branchlets, flowers somewhat malodorous, with cream-white tepals 8–12 cm long, and winter buds glabrous (vs. M. acuminata, with leaves scattered along the branchlets, flowers pleasantly aromatic, with green-white tepals up to 8 cm long, and winter buds pubescent).
- Magnolia virginiana:
- leaf blades coriaceous, abaxially glaucous, seeds ca. 5 mm long, and branchlets 2–4 mm thick (vs. M. acuminata, with leaf blades thick-herbaceous, abaxially pale green to white-green, seeds 9 mm or longer, and branchlets 4 mm thick or thicker).
Synonyms
- Magnolia acuminata var. cordata (Michx.) Ser.
- Tulipastrum acuminatum (L.) Small
- Tulipastrum cordatum (Michx.) Small
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Magnolia acuminata (L.) L. E
cucumber-tree. Magnolia acuminata L. var. cordata (Michx.) Ser.; M. virginiana L. var. acuminata L.; Tulipastrum acuminatum (L.) Small; T. cordatum (Michx.) Small • CT, MA; also reported from ME by Richards et al. (1983), but specimens are unknown. Thickets and forest edges near areas of human habitation.