The Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) is already in flower in London, following the mild winter. Magnolia trees and shrubs are members of a very large genus containing between 120 and 230 species depending on the classification system used. The genus is named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol. It is an ancient genus with ‘primitive’ flowers adapted for pollination by beetles. The petals, for example, are known as tepals because the sepals and petals are indistinguishable. This is a feature common to plants that appeared early on in the evolution of Flowering Plants. Magnolias are important horticulturally. They are now sold worldwide and many new varieties have been developed. They are grown for their beautiful flowers and their striking foliage. Two common Magnolias – the Saucer Magnolia and Star Magnolia flower in Spring and the Southern Evergreen Magnolia flowers from midsummer. See a previous post for more information. 

Vase-like flowers first emerge in March, before the leaves but continue to emerge through the summer. Flowers are white with a pink or purple stain. Photo taken March 19th 2014. This year some flowers are already out in February.

Close-up of the flower centre after the pollen grains have been released by the anthers. In Magnolias pollination is mainly carried out by beetles. They are attracted to the flower by sweet-smelling secretions and may shelter and feed in the centre of the flower for several hours. If the anthers release pollen during this time, the beetle gets contaminated with pollen grains. Eventually the inner tepals open and release the beetle which then flies off to other trees and pollinates them.

A female flower bud that has just opened. Some trees have all female flowers, some all male and some have both. The flowers are wind-pollinated so have no petals. Each bud opens to reveal several flowers. A single female flower extends 2 long red stigmas to catch wind-blown pollen. They are connected to a single ovary which eventually forms a 2-winged fruit called a samara. The fruits hang down like a Sycamore. 

When the female flower bud first opens the stigmas are white, then turn red.

Following the mild winter, some  flowers are out in February that normally would not be seen until March. Two wild flowers,  the Lesser celandine and the Coltsfoot are in flower as are two trees, the Cherry Plum with white flowers and the Goat Willow with yellow catkins.

The Goat Willow is a shrub or small tree also known as Pussy Willow and Great Sallow. It is native to Europe (including Britain) and Asia. In Britain it is found everywhere in woodlands, scrub and hedgerows. The male catkins are yellow when full of pollen in March and April. 

The author is Alan Birkett and this is an eBook available as a download to the Books app of iMacs, Apple Laptops, iPads and iPhones from the Apple Books Store at £4.49. 

Use this link to find the book on Apple Books

It is also available  from Amazon Kindle books as a download to the Kindle Fire and other Android and Apple devices at £4.60, using the Kindle app.

Use this link to find the book on Amazon

The book describes 42 families that between them contain many of the garden and wild flowers found in Britain. There are over 700 photographs covering 424 flowering plant species, 253 of which are found in gardens and 171 in the wild. In each family, the book illustrates similarities and differences between wild and garden flowers.

It explains why flowers take the forms they do and uses close-up photographs  to illustrate pollination and fruit formation. The book describes how species have evolved within families.

 Heather ‘Ghost Hills’ Erica x darleyensis ‘Ghost Hills‘ is  a cultivated variety based on the  Bell Heather Erica cinerea, which grows on  dry Heaths and Moors. It is a popular garden plant that flowers from February to April.