Michelia maudiae

Description:

Evergreen trees to 20 m tall, glabrous throughout; buds, young twigs, lower surfaces of leaves, and bracts covered with white powder. Leaves leathery, oblong-elliptic, rarely ovate-elliptic, 7-18 cm long and 3.5-8.5 cm wide, apex abruptly short acuminate or short acuminate, base cuneate, broadly cuneate or obtuse, adaxially dark green and glossy; petioles without stipular scars. Flowers fragrant, solitary and axillary; tepals 9, pure white, the outer 3 obovate, 5-7 cm long, the inner 6 narrower and smaller; stamens many, 1.5-2 cm long. Fruit an aggregate, spicate, 10-12 cm long; follicles long ellipsoid, obovoid or ovoid, apex obtuse or abruptly mucronate.

Distribution:

Lantau Peak, Sunset Peak. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan.

Habitat and Ecology:

In forests. Flowering: Feb.; fruiting: Oct.

With large and white flowers, the species has a potential as an ornamental plant. Its flowers also can be used to extract essential oil. In Hong Kong, most of the localities of occurrence are in Country Parks under protection. The species has also been protected under the Forestry Regulations (Cap. 96 sub. leg.). AFCD have conducted ex-situ conservation. Living specimens are cultivated in the Shing Mun Arboretum.

References:

劉玉壺，1987：廣東植物誌1：14-15。圖12。廣東科技出版社。廣州。
劉玉壺，1996：中國植物誌30：179-180。科學出版社。北京。