Magnoliaceae
Magnolia family
Ancient family of trees and shrubs with large solitary flowers and many free floral parts arranged spirally — considered primitive. Includes magnolias and champak.
Browse all 6 species ↓
Large, entire, often leathery leaves on trees and shrubs bearing a big solitary flower with numerous free tepals, stamens, and carpels arranged in a spiral rather than fused whorls — an unusually primitive floral plan.
One of the most ancient surviving flowering-plant lineages, so old that its flowers evolved before bees existed and are still pollinated mainly by beetles today.
Which Magnoliaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Magnoliaceae species.
How to recognise the Magnoliaceae family
- 01
Leaf arrangement: alternate
- 02
Leaf type: simple
- 03
Growth forms: tree/shrub
- 04
Inflorescence: solitary terminal
- 05
Fruit: aggregate follicle
To check whether a plant belongs to Magnoliaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryVariable
- InflorescenceVariable
- FruitFollicle
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Annonaceae
Compare against Annonaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare AnnonaceaeMyristicaceae
Compare against Myristicaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare MyristicaceaeAsclepiadaceae
Compare against Asclepiadaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare AsclepiadaceaeApocynaceae
Compare against Apocynaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare ApocynaceaeAll 6 species in MAGNOLIACEAE
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