Magnolia kisopa - Kisopa Magnolia

Kisopa Magnolia is a deciduous tree, 10-20 m tall, hairless, except for grey silky buds; bark plain, grey; branchlets warty. Leaves are ovate-elliptic, abruptly wedge-shaped or rarely rounded at base, pointed to gradually tapering at tip, 12-23 x 3-10 cm, thinly leathery, hairless on both surfaces, shiny above, dull beneath, turning yellow before falling; lateral nerves 10-15 pairs, slightly arched; reticulations fine and close; leaf-stalks 2-4 cm long; stipules oblong, about 1.5 cm long, grey or rusty velvet-hairy outside; stipular scars 1-2.5 cm long. Flowers are borne in leaf-axils, short stalked, pale yellow, rarely white, 3-4 cm across, sweet-scented; buds about 1.2 cm long; bracts 2, fleshy, grey velvet-hairy outside. Tepals are 9, yellow; 6 tepals of outer whorl obovate, 2-2.2 x 0.9-1 cm; 3 tepals of inner whorl nearly spoon-shaped, 1.8-1.9 x 0.6-0.8 cm. Stamens are shorter than gynoecium. Carpels silky hairy; styles recurved. Fruiting receptacles 5-10 cm long; ripe carpels stalkless, ellipsoid, compressed, 8-10 x 7-8 mm, closely warty. Seeds are 3-4, large, red. Kisopa Magnolia is found in India in Subtropical forests, at altitudes of 1400-1800 m, from Uttarakhand to Nepal and Sikkim. Flowering: July-September.