CUCUMBER MAGNOLIA
Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.
The bark is aromatic and bitter; that of the young twigs is a lustrous red-brown, while the bark of the trunk is rather thin, dark brown, furrowed and broken into thin scales.
The leaves are alternate, oblong, short-pointed, rounded at the base, silky, hairy when unfolding, later smooth or slightly silky, 6 to 10 inches long, 4 to 6 inches wide, often with wavy edges, dark green above, lighter beneath.
The flowers are single, large—though smaller than those of the other magnolias—2½ to 3 inches long. The six upright petals are whitish-green tinged with yellow.
The fruit is a smooth, dark red, often crooked “cone”, 2½ to 3 inches long, somewhat resembling, when green, a small cucumber. The seeds are ½ inch long, and covered with a pulpy, scarlet coat, which attracts the birds, particularly as the seeds hang by thin cords from the opening “cones.”
The wood is light, soft, close-grained, durable, of a light yellow-brown color and is used for the same purposes as yellow poplar. It is quite desirable for roadside and ornamental planting.
