Magnolia poasana
Encyclopedia
Magnolia poasana is a sub-tropical to tropical, subcanopy tree, growing in areas of montane rainforest. The names "Poas", and "poasana" originate from the Poás Volcano
in Costa Rica
where, along with Panama
and Southern Mexico they grow in the wild. First described by Henri François Pittier in 1910 (treated in the genus Talauma), it was later described and included in Magnolia by James Edgar Dandy (1927).
of about 90cm, and its growth habit is round and densely compact. It tends to be low branching, or tending to branch off from the base when in more open areas with greater sun exposure.
are 12 x 5 cm in length, simple, alternate, elliptic, entire, apiculate, acute and lanceolate with prominent stipule
s, a scar encircling each leaf's petiole
. The bark
is smooth, reddish brown with a gray cast.
s bloom from the months of November through July, peaking in February, March and April. They are bisexual, 10cm in diameter, with 6 spatulate, white petal
s and 3 gray membranous sepal
s. A perianth
is formed of a yellowish white corolla.
, which are aromatic, cone-like, aggregate infructescenses, about 4cm in length, in July and August. There are approximately 25 fruits of dehiscing capsules per infructescense. The fruit's seed
s are exserted, and covered with bright networks of aril
s which dangle from threads. Seed germination is epigean.
of the Cordillera de Talamanca
and Central
, M. poasana has been documented as growing naturally as low as 500m, and as high as 2400m, but most trees have been found at elevations between 1300m to 2200m.
All specimens of M. poasana prior to 1972 were collected from Costa Rica, but since then samples have been collected in Chiapas, Mexico
; in 1982 samples were also collected in Panama.
M. poasana is most often found growing in soil
s of alluvial
or volcanic
origin, in climate
s in which the temperature ranges between 4 and 25 degrees C; where the precipitation
accumulates at rates of 2,000 to 3,000 mm per annum.
and carving
.
The wood
is colored greenish-grey with a specific weight
of 50g per cubic cm. It has fine texture and an attractive finish, is easy to work and turn, yet durable. It is used in general construction and as a component in plywood
; to decorate interiors as panelling
, veneer
s and finishing
; in cabinetry and the manufacture of furniture
.
from the Food and Agriculture Organization
(of the United Nations
)
Poás Volcano
The Poás Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Poás, is an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica. Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828.- Crater lakes :...
in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
where, along with Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Southern Mexico they grow in the wild. First described by Henri François Pittier in 1910 (treated in the genus Talauma), it was later described and included in Magnolia by James Edgar Dandy (1927).
Description
Magnolia poasana is between 10 to 30m in height, with a dbhDiameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements....
of about 90cm, and its growth habit is round and densely compact. It tends to be low branching, or tending to branch off from the base when in more open areas with greater sun exposure.
Leaves and bark
The glossy, glabrous leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 12 x 5 cm in length, simple, alternate, elliptic, entire, apiculate, acute and lanceolate with prominent stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s, a scar encircling each leaf's petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
is smooth, reddish brown with a gray cast.
Flowers
FlowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s bloom from the months of November through July, peaking in February, March and April. They are bisexual, 10cm in diameter, with 6 spatulate, white petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s and 3 gray membranous sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. A perianth
Perianth
The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
is formed of a yellowish white corolla.
Fruit and seeds
The tree bears its fruitFruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, which are aromatic, cone-like, aggregate infructescenses, about 4cm in length, in July and August. There are approximately 25 fruits of dehiscing capsules per infructescense. The fruit's seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s are exserted, and covered with bright networks of aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
s which dangle from threads. Seed germination is epigean.
Distribution and habitat
Mostly located in foothillsFoothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of the Cordillera de Talamanca
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
and Central
Cordillera Central, Costa Rica
The Cordillera Central is a volcanic mountain range in central Costa Rica which continues the Continental Divide east of Cordillera de Tilarán. It extends 80 km from Tapezco Pass to the Turrialba Volcano and ending on the Pacuare River...
, M. poasana has been documented as growing naturally as low as 500m, and as high as 2400m, but most trees have been found at elevations between 1300m to 2200m.
All specimens of M. poasana prior to 1972 were collected from Costa Rica, but since then samples have been collected in Chiapas, Mexico
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
; in 1982 samples were also collected in Panama.
M. poasana is most often found growing in soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s of alluvial
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
or volcanic
Andisols
In USDA soil taxonomy, Andisols are soils formed in volcanic ash and defined as soils containing high proportions of glass and amorphous colloidal materials, including allophane, imogolite and ferrihydrite...
origin, in climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
s in which the temperature ranges between 4 and 25 degrees C; where the precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
accumulates at rates of 2,000 to 3,000 mm per annum.
Uses
The Poas magnolia has applications in constructionConstruction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
and carving
Wood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
.
The wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is colored greenish-grey with a specific weight
Specific weight
The specific weight is the weight per unit volume of a material. The symbol of specific weight is γ ....
of 50g per cubic cm. It has fine texture and an attractive finish, is easy to work and turn, yet durable. It is used in general construction and as a component in plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
; to decorate interiors as panelling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
, veneer
Wood veneer
In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm , that are typically glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry...
s and finishing
Wood finishing
Wood finishing refers to the process of embellishing and/or protecting the surface of a wooden material. The process starts with surface preparation, either by sanding by hand , scraping, or planing. Imperfections or nail holes on the surface may be filled using wood putty or pores may be filled...
; in cabinetry and the manufacture of furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
.
External links
Nice image of the flowers, fruit and leaves of M. poasana
from the Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
)