Magnoliidae
Encyclopedia
Magnoliids are a group of about 9,000 species of flowering plant
s, including magnolia
s, nutmeg
, bay laurel
, cinnamon
, avocado
, black pepper
, and many others. They are characterized by trimerous
flowers, pollen with one pore, and usually branching-veined leaves.
of a subclass. The circumscription of a subclass will vary with the taxonomic system being used. The only requirement is that it must include the family Magnoliaceae
. More recently, the group has been redefined under the PhyloCode as a node-based clade
comprising the Canellales
, Laurales
, Magnoliales
, and Piperales
.
(2009) and its predecessor systems do not use formal botanical names above the rank of order. Under these systems, larger clades are usually referred to by informal names, such as "magnoliids" (plural, not capitalized) or "magnoliid complex". The APG III recognizes a clade
within the angiosperms for the magnoliids. The circumscription is:
The clade includes most of the basal groups of the angiosperms. This clade was formally named Magnoliidae in 2007 under provisions of the PhyloCode
.
(1981) used the name Magnoliidae for one of six subclasses (within class Magnoliopsida
= dicotyledons). In the original version of this system the circumscription was:
and Thorne
classified the magnoliids (sensu APG) in superorder Magnolianae, rather than as a subclass. In their systems, the name Magnoliidae is used for a much larger group including all dicotyledons. This is also the case in some of the systems derived from the Cronquist system.
Dahlgren divided his Magnolianae into ten orders
, more than other systems of the time, and unlike Cronquist and Thorne, he did not include the Piperales
. Thorne grouped most of his Magnolianae into two large orders, Magnoliales
and Berberidales, although his Magnoliales was divided into suborders along lines similar to the ordinal groupings used by both Cronquist and Dahlgren. Thorne revised his system in 2000, restricting the name Magnoliidae to include only the Magnolianae, Nymphaeanae, and Rafflesianae, and removing the Berberidales and other previously included groups to his subclass Ranunculidae. This revised system diverges from the Cronquist system, but agrees more closely with the circumscription later published under APG II.
. For example, the composition of Cronquist's subclass Magnoliidae is nearly the same as Thorne's (1992) superorder Magnolianae, despite the difference in taxonomic rank.
Because of these difficulties and others, the synoptic table below imprecisely compares the definition of "magnoliid" groups in the systems of four authors. For each system, only orders are named in the table. All orders included by a particular author are listed and linked in that column. When a taxon is not included by that author, but was included by an author in another column, that item appears in unlinked italics and indicates remote placement. The sequence of each system has been altered from its publication in order to pair corresponding taxa between columns.
One widely cultivated magnoliid fruit
is the avocado
(Persea americana), which is believed to have been cultivated in Mexico
and Central America
for nearly 10,000 years. Now grown throughout the American tropics, it probably originates from the Chiapas
region of Mexico
or Guatemala
, where "wild" avocados may still be found. The soft pulp of the fruit is eaten fresh or mashed into guacamole
. The ancient peoples of Central America were also the first to cultivate several fruit-bearing species of Annona
. These include the custard-apple
(A. reticulata), soursop
(A. muricata), sweetsop or sugar-apple
(A. squamosa), and the cherimoya
(A. cherimola). Both soursop and sweetsop now are widely grown for their fruits in the Old World as well.
Some members of the magnoliids have served as important food additives. Oil of sassafras
was formerly used as a key flavoring in both root beer
and in sarsaparilla
. The primary ingredient responsible for the oil's flavor is safrole
, but it is no longer used in either the United States
or Canada
. Both nations banned the use of safrole as a food additive in 1960 as a result of studies that demonstrated safrole promoted liver
damage and tumor
s in mice. Consumption of more than a minute quantity of the oil causes nausea
, vomiting, hallucinations, and shallow rapid breathing. It is very toxic, and can severely damage the kidneys. In addition to its former use as a food additive, safrole from either Sassafras or Ocotea cymbarum
is also the primary precursor for synthesis of MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine
), commonly known as the drug ecstasy.
Other magnoliids also are known for their narcotic, hallucinogenic, or paralytic properties. The Polynesian
beverage kava
is fermented
from the pulverized roots of Piper methysticum, and has both sedative and narcotic
properties. It is used throughout the Pacific in social gatherings or after work to relax. Likewise, some native peoples of the Amazon
take a hallucinogenic snuff
made from the dried and powdered fluid exuded from the bark of Virola
trees. Another hallucinogenic compound, myristicin
, comes from the spice nutmeg. As with safrole, ingestion of nutmeg in quantities can lead to hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting, with symptoms lasting several days. A more severe reaction comes from poisoning by rodiasine
and demethylrodiasine, the active ingredients in fruit extract from Chlorocardium venenosum
. These chemicals paralyze muscles and nerves, resulting in tetanus
-like reactions in animals. The Cofán
peoples of westernmost Amazon in Colombia
and Ecuador
use the compound as a poison to tip their arrows in hunting.
Not all the effects of chemical compounds in the magnoliids are detrimental. In previous centuries, sailors would use Winter's Bark from the South America
n tree Drimys winteri
to ward off the vitamin-deficieny of scurvy
. Today, benzoyl
is extracted from Lindera benzoin
(common spicebush) for use as a food additive and skin medicine, due to its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Drugs extracted from the bark of Magnolia
have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Scientific investigation of magnolol
and honokiol
have shown promise for their use in dental health. Both compounds demonstrate effective anti-bacterial activity against the bacteria responsible for bad breath
and dental caries
. Several members of the family Annonaceae
are also under investigation for uses of a group of chemicals called acetogenins. The first acetogenin discovered was uvaricin
, which has anti-leukemic properties when used in living organisms. Other acetogenins have been discovered with anti-malaria
l and anti-tumor properties, and some even inhibit HIV
replication in laboratory studies.
Many magnoliid species produce essential oil
s in their leaves, bark, or wood. The tree Virola surinamensis
(Brazilian "nutmeg") contains trimyristin
, which is extracted in the form of a fat and used in soap
s and candle
s, as well as in shortening
s. Other fragrant volatile oils are extracted from Aniba rosaeodora
(bois-de-rose oil), Cinnamomum porrectum, Cinnamomum cassia, and Litsea odorifera for scenting soaps. Perfume
s also are made from some of these oils; ylang-ylang
comes from the flowers of Cananga odorata, and is used by Arab
and Swahili
women. A compound called nutmeg butter is produced from the same tree as the spice of that name, but the sweet-smelling "butter" is used in perfumery or as a lubricant
rather than as a food.
Magnoliids are also important sources of spices and herbs used to flavor food, including the spices black pepper
, cinnamon
and nutmeg
, and the herb bay laurel
.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s, including magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
s, nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
, bay laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
, black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, and many others. They are characterized by trimerous
Merosity
Merosity is the number of component parts in each whorl of a plant structure. It is most commonly used in the context of flowers, in which case it refers to the number of sepals in the calyx, the number of petals in the corolla, and the number of stamens in each whorl of the androecium...
flowers, pollen with one pore, and usually branching-veined leaves.
Classification
Traditionally, Magnoliidae is the botanical nameBotanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
of a subclass. The circumscription of a subclass will vary with the taxonomic system being used. The only requirement is that it must include the family Magnoliaceae
Magnoliaceae
The Magnoliaceae, or Magnolia Family, is a flowering plant family in the order Magnoliales. It consists of two subfamilies:*Magnolioideae, of which Magnolia is the most well-known genus....
. More recently, the group has been redefined under the PhyloCode as a node-based clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
comprising the Canellales
Canellales
Canellales is the botanical name for an order of flowering plants, one of the four orders of the magnoliids. It is defined to contain two families: Canellaceae and Winteraceae, which comprise 136 species of fragrant trees and shrubs...
, Laurales
Laurales
The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are magnoliids, related to the Magnoliales.The order includes about 2500-2800 species from 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate...
, Magnoliales
Magnoliales
Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae...
, and Piperales
Piperales
Piperales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It necessarily includes the family Piperaceae but otherwise has been treated variously over time...
.
APG system
The APG IIIAPG III system
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy...
(2009) and its predecessor systems do not use formal botanical names above the rank of order. Under these systems, larger clades are usually referred to by informal names, such as "magnoliids" (plural, not capitalized) or "magnoliid complex". The APG III recognizes a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
within the angiosperms for the magnoliids. The circumscription is:
clade magnoliids
|
{clade| style=font-size:75%;line-height:75% | label1= | 1= }} |
| The current phylogeny Phylogenetics In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices... and composition of the magnoliids. |
|||
The clade includes most of the basal groups of the angiosperms. This clade was formally named Magnoliidae in 2007 under provisions of the PhyloCode
PhyloCode
The International Code of Phylogenetic Nomenclature, known as the PhyloCode for short, is a developing draft for a formal set of rules governing phylogenetic nomenclature...
.
Cronquist system
The Cronquist systemCronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants .Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two...
(1981) used the name Magnoliidae for one of six subclasses (within class Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida is a valid botanical name for a class of flowering plants. By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its circumscription can otherwise vary, being more inclusive or less inclusive depending upon the classification system being discussed.-Cronquist and...
= dicotyledons). In the original version of this system the circumscription was:
- subclass Magnoliidae :
- order MagnolialesMagnolialesMagnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae...
- order LauralesLauralesThe Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are magnoliids, related to the Magnoliales.The order includes about 2500-2800 species from 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate...
- order PiperalesPiperalesPiperales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It necessarily includes the family Piperaceae but otherwise has been treated variously over time...
- order AristolochialesAristolochialesAristolochiales is an order of flowering plants. It is not recognised in the APG or APG II systems, in which it is considered a synonym of Piperales. It also is not recognized in the Thorne system....
- order IllicialesIllicialesIlliciales is the botanical name of an order of flowering plants. The order is not recognized by all plant taxonomists and is comprised differently in various systems of plant taxonomy, but is composed of 2-4 families of shrubs, trees, and lianas native to Australasia, south eastern Asia, and the...
- order NymphaealesNymphaealesNymphaeales is an order of plants, which consists of water lilies and other aquatic plants.This order is considered to be a basal, or early diverging, group of angiosperms...
- order RanunculalesRanunculalesRanunculales is an order of flowering plants. Of necessity it contains the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family, because the name of the order is based on the name of a genus in that family. Ranunculales belongs to a paraphyletic group known as the basal eudicots...
- order Papaverales
- order Magnoliales
Dahlgren and Thorne systems
Both DahlgrenDahlgren system
One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was published by monocot specialist Rolf Dahlgren. His wife Gertrud Dahlgren carried on after his death.According to the extensive listing by Professor Reveal One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was...
and Thorne
Thorne system (1992)
A modern system of plant taxonomy, the Thorne system of plant classification was drawn up by the botanist Robert F. Thorne . He replaced it in 2000 with a new system. These two systems were published in:...
classified the magnoliids (sensu APG) in superorder Magnolianae, rather than as a subclass. In their systems, the name Magnoliidae is used for a much larger group including all dicotyledons. This is also the case in some of the systems derived from the Cronquist system.
Dahlgren divided his Magnolianae into ten orders
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
, more than other systems of the time, and unlike Cronquist and Thorne, he did not include the Piperales
Piperales
Piperales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It necessarily includes the family Piperaceae but otherwise has been treated variously over time...
. Thorne grouped most of his Magnolianae into two large orders, Magnoliales
Magnoliales
Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae...
and Berberidales, although his Magnoliales was divided into suborders along lines similar to the ordinal groupings used by both Cronquist and Dahlgren. Thorne revised his system in 2000, restricting the name Magnoliidae to include only the Magnolianae, Nymphaeanae, and Rafflesianae, and removing the Berberidales and other previously included groups to his subclass Ranunculidae. This revised system diverges from the Cronquist system, but agrees more closely with the circumscription later published under APG II.
Comparison table
Comparison of classification systems is often difficult. Two authors may apply the same name to groups with different composition of members; for example, Dahlgren's Magnoliidae includes all dicots, whereas Cronquists' Magnoliidae is only one of five dicot groups. Two authors may also describe the same group with nearly identical composition, but each may then apply a different name to that group or place the group at a different taxonomic rankTaxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
. For example, the composition of Cronquist's subclass Magnoliidae is nearly the same as Thorne's (1992) superorder Magnolianae, despite the difference in taxonomic rank.
Because of these difficulties and others, the synoptic table below imprecisely compares the definition of "magnoliid" groups in the systems of four authors. For each system, only orders are named in the table. All orders included by a particular author are listed and linked in that column. When a taxon is not included by that author, but was included by an author in another column, that item appears in unlinked italics and indicates remote placement. The sequence of each system has been altered from its publication in order to pair corresponding taxa between columns.
| APG II system APG II system The APG II system of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was a revision of the first APG system, published in 1998, and was superseded in 2009... magnoliids |
Cronquist system Cronquist system The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants .Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two... Magnoliidae |
Dahlgren system Dahlgren system One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was published by monocot specialist Rolf Dahlgren. His wife Gertrud Dahlgren carried on after his death.According to the extensive listing by Professor Reveal One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was... Magnolianae |
Thorne system (1992) Thorne system (1992) A modern system of plant taxonomy, the Thorne system of plant classification was drawn up by the botanist Robert F. Thorne . He replaced it in 2000 with a new system. These two systems were published in:... Magnolianae |
Thorne system (2000) Magnolianae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurales Laurales The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are magnoliids, related to the Magnoliales.The order includes about 2500-2800 species from 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate... |
Laurales Laurales The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are magnoliids, related to the Magnoliales.The order includes about 2500-2800 species from 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate... |
Laurales Laurales The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are magnoliids, related to the Magnoliales.The order includes about 2500-2800 species from 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate... |
Magnoliales Magnoliales Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae... |
Magnoliales Magnoliales Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae... |
| Magnoliales Magnoliales Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae... |
Magnoliales Magnoliales Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae... |
Magnoliales Magnoliales Magnoliales is an order of flowering plants.-Classification:The Magnoliales includes six families:* Annonaceae... |
||
| Annonales | ||||
| Canellales Canellales Canellales is the botanical name for an order of flowering plants, one of the four orders of the magnoliids. It is defined to contain two families: Canellaceae and Winteraceae, which comprise 136 species of fragrant trees and shrubs... |
Winterales | |||
| Piperales Piperales Piperales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It necessarily includes the family Piperaceae but otherwise has been treated variously over time... |
Lactoridales | |||
| Aristolochiales Aristolochiales Aristolochiales is an order of flowering plants. It is not recognised in the APG or APG II systems, in which it is considered a synonym of Piperales. It also is not recognized in the Thorne system.... |
Aristolochiales Aristolochiales Aristolochiales is an order of flowering plants. It is not recognised in the APG or APG II systems, in which it is considered a synonym of Piperales. It also is not recognized in the Thorne system.... |
|||
| Piperales Piperales Piperales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It necessarily includes the family Piperaceae but otherwise has been treated variously over time... |
Piperales in Nymphaeanae | |||
| unplaced or in basal clades | Chloranthales | |||
| Illiciales Illiciales Illiciales is the botanical name of an order of flowering plants. The order is not recognized by all plant taxonomists and is comprised differently in various systems of plant taxonomy, but is composed of 2-4 families of shrubs, trees, and lianas native to Australasia, south eastern Asia, and the... |
Illiciales Illiciales Illiciales is the botanical name of an order of flowering plants. The order is not recognized by all plant taxonomists and is comprised differently in various systems of plant taxonomy, but is composed of 2-4 families of shrubs, trees, and lianas native to Australasia, south eastern Asia, and the... |
|||
| in Rosidae | Rafflesiales Rafflesiales Rafflesiales is a botanical name of an order of flowering plants. The name was first published by Oliver in 1895. The Cronquist system used this name for an order placed in subclass Rosidae with the following circumscription :... |
in Rafflesianae | in Rafflesianae | |
| Nymphaeales Nymphaeales Nymphaeales is an order of plants, which consists of water lilies and other aquatic plants.This order is considered to be a basal, or early diverging, group of angiosperms... |
in Nymphaeanae | in Nymphaeanae | in Nymphaeanae | |
| Ceratophyllales | in Ranunculidae | |||
| placed in eudicot clade | Nelumbonales | Nelumbonales | ||
| Ranunculales Ranunculales Ranunculales is an order of flowering plants. Of necessity it contains the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family, because the name of the order is based on the name of a genus in that family. Ranunculales belongs to a paraphyletic group known as the basal eudicots... |
in Ranunculanae | Berberidales | ||
| Papaverales | ||||
| in Dilleniidae | in Theanae | Paeoniales |
Economic uses
The magnoliids is a large group of plants, with many species that are economically important as food, drugs, perfumes, timber, and as ornamentals, among many other uses.One widely cultivated magnoliid fruit
Fruit
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,...
is the avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
(Persea americana), which is believed to have been cultivated in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
for nearly 10,000 years. Now grown throughout the American tropics, it probably originates from the Chiapas
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...
region of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
or Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, where "wild" avocados may still be found. The soft pulp of the fruit is eaten fresh or mashed into guacamole
Guacamole
Guacamole , is an avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete with sea salt. Some recipes call for limited tomato, spicy Asian spices such as white onion, lime juice, and/or additional seasonings.-History:Guacamole was made by...
. The ancient peoples of Central America were also the first to cultivate several fruit-bearing species of Annona
Annona
Annona is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after Guatteria, containing approximately 110 species of mostly neotropical and afrotropical trees and shrubs....
. These include the custard-apple
Custard-apple
The tree also grows in Egypt,but the fruit is quite greenish in color not brown or yellowish.The common name for the fruit in Egypt is "Kishta".The custard-apple, also called bullock's heart or bull's heart, is the fruit of the tree Annona reticulata...
(A. reticulata), soursop
Soursop
The Soursop is tripti broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree native to Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America, Colombia and Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Soursop is also native to sub-Saharan African countries that lie within the tropics. Today, it is also grown in some areas...
(A. muricata), sweetsop or sugar-apple
Sugar-apple
Annona squamosa is a species of Annona native to the tropical Americas and widely grown in Colombia, El Salvador, India, Pakistan and the Philippines...
(A. squamosa), and the cherimoya
Cherimoya
The Cherimoya is the fruit of the species Annona cherimola, which is native to the Andes. Today they are grown throughout South and Central America.-Description:...
(A. cherimola). Both soursop and sweetsop now are widely grown for their fruits in the Old World as well.
Some members of the magnoliids have served as important food additives. Oil of sassafras
Sassafras
Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.-Overview:...
was formerly used as a key flavoring in both root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
and in sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilla
is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Central America. Common names include Sarsaparilla , Honduran Sarsaparilla, and Jamaican Sarsaparilla...
. The primary ingredient responsible for the oil's flavor is safrole
Safrole
Safrole, also known as shikimol, is a phenylpropene. It is a colorless or slightly yellow oily liquid. It is typically extracted from the root-bark or the fruit of sassafras plants in the form of sassafras oil , or synthesized from other related methylenedioxy...
, but it is no longer used in either the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Both nations banned the use of safrole as a food additive in 1960 as a result of studies that demonstrated safrole promoted liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
damage and tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s in mice. Consumption of more than a minute quantity of the oil causes nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
, vomiting, hallucinations, and shallow rapid breathing. It is very toxic, and can severely damage the kidneys. In addition to its former use as a food additive, safrole from either Sassafras or Ocotea cymbarum
Ocotea cymbarum
Ocotea cymbarum is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
is also the primary precursor for synthesis of MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
), commonly known as the drug ecstasy.
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
beverage kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
is fermented
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
from the pulverized roots of Piper methysticum, and has both sedative and narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
properties. It is used throughout the Pacific in social gatherings or after work to relax. Likewise, some native peoples of the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
take a hallucinogenic snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
made from the dried and powdered fluid exuded from the bark of Virola
Virola
Virola, also known as Epená, Patricá, or Cumala, is a genus of medium-sized trees native to the South American rainforest and closely related to other Myristicaceae, such as nutmeg...
trees. Another hallucinogenic compound, myristicin
Myristicin
Myristicin is a phenylpropene, a natural organic compound present in small amounts in the essential oil of nutmeg and to a lesser extent in other spices such as parsley and dill.It is insoluble in water, but soluble in ethanol and acetone.-Uses:...
, comes from the spice nutmeg. As with safrole, ingestion of nutmeg in quantities can lead to hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting, with symptoms lasting several days. A more severe reaction comes from poisoning by rodiasine
Rodiasine
Rodiasine is an cyclic bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid that was first isolated from the South American greenheart tree Chlorocardium rodiei. The synthesis of O-demethylrodiasine and its derivatives, and the possible application of these compounds as anti-cancer, calcium channel blockers, and...
and demethylrodiasine, the active ingredients in fruit extract from Chlorocardium venenosum
Chlorocardium venenosum
Chlorocardium venenosum is one of two species of the genus Chlorocardium in the family Lauraceae....
. These chemicals paralyze muscles and nerves, resulting in tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
-like reactions in animals. The Cofán
Cofán
The Cofán people are an indigenous people native to Napo Province northeast Ecuador and to southern Colombia, between the Guamués River and the Aguaricó River...
peoples of westernmost Amazon in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
use the compound as a poison to tip their arrows in hunting.
Not all the effects of chemical compounds in the magnoliids are detrimental. In previous centuries, sailors would use Winter's Bark from the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n tree Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri , or Canelo, is a slender tree, growing up to 20 m tall. It is native to the Magellanic and Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina, where it is a dominant tree in the coastal evergreen forests. It is found below 1200 meters between latitude 32° south and Cape...
to ward off the vitamin-deficieny of scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
. Today, benzoyl
Benzoyl
In organic chemistry, benzoyl is the acyl of benzoic acid, with structure C6H5CO-. It should not be confused with benzyl, which is the radical or ion formed from the removal of one of the methyl hydrogens of toluene...
is extracted from Lindera benzoin
Lindera benzoin
Lindera benzoin is a flowering plant in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America, ranging from Maine to Ontario in the north, and to Kansas, Texas and northern Florida in the south.-Characteristics:Spicebush is a medium-sized deciduous shrub growing to 5 m...
(common spicebush) for use as a food additive and skin medicine, due to its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Drugs extracted from the bark of Magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Scientific investigation of magnolol
Magnolol
Magnolol is a bioactive compound found in the bark of the Houpu magnolia . It is known to act on the GABAA receptors in rats, as well as having antifungal properties.-References:*...
and honokiol
Honokiol
Honokiol is a biphenolic compound present in the cones, bark, and leaves of Magnolia grandiflora that has been used in the traditional Japanese medicine Saiboku-to as an anxiolytic, antithrombotic, anti-depressant, anti-emetic, and anti-bacterial...
have shown promise for their use in dental health. Both compounds demonstrate effective anti-bacterial activity against the bacteria responsible for bad breath
Halitosis
Halitosis is a term used to describe noticeably unpleasant odors exhaled in breathing. Halitosis is estimated to be the third most frequent reason for seeking dental aid, following tooth decay and periodontal disease.- General :...
and dental caries
Dental caries
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an irreversible infection usually bacterial in origin that causes demineralization of the hard tissues and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the...
. Several members of the family Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
are also under investigation for uses of a group of chemicals called acetogenins. The first acetogenin discovered was uvaricin
Uvaricin
Uvaricin is a bis fatty acid lactone that was first isolated in 1982 from the roots of Uvaria accuminata. Uvaricin was the first in a class of compounds with potent anticancer activity known as acetogenins. Acetogenins, which are found in plants of the family Annonaceae, seem to kill cells by...
, which has anti-leukemic properties when used in living organisms. Other acetogenins have been discovered with anti-malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
l and anti-tumor properties, and some even inhibit HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
replication in laboratory studies.
Many magnoliid species produce essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
s in their leaves, bark, or wood. The tree Virola surinamensis
Virola surinamensis
Virola surinamensis is a species of plant in the Myristicaceae family. It is found in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It has also been naturalized in the Caribbean...
(Brazilian "nutmeg") contains trimyristin
Trimyristin
Trimyristin is an ester with the chemical formula C45H86O6. It is a saturated fat which is the triglyceride of myristic acid. Trimyristin is found naturally in many vegetable fats and oils...
, which is extracted in the form of a fat and used in soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
s and candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s, as well as in shortening
Shortening
Shortening is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry. The reason it is called shortening is because it prevents cross-linkage between gluten molecules. Cross linking is what causes doughs to be sticky. Seeing as cake is not meant to be sticky, shortening is used...
s. Other fragrant volatile oils are extracted from Aniba rosaeodora
Aniba rosaeodora
Aniba rosaeodora is a species of Magnoliid tree in the Lauraceae family. Its common names are Brazilian rosewood and rosewoodtree. It grows in parts of the tropical rainforest of South America. It is an endangered species that sees exploitation for its essential oil.-Description:A. rosaeodora grows...
(bois-de-rose oil), Cinnamomum porrectum, Cinnamomum cassia, and Litsea odorifera for scenting soaps. Perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
s also are made from some of these oils; ylang-ylang
Ylang-ylang
Cananga odorata, commonly called Ylang-ylang , cananga tree, ilang-ilang, kenanga , fragrant cananga, Macassar-oil plant or perfume tree),is a tree valued for its perfume...
comes from the flowers of Cananga odorata, and is used by Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
women. A compound called nutmeg butter is produced from the same tree as the spice of that name, but the sweet-smelling "butter" is used in perfumery or as a lubricant
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
rather than as a food.
Magnoliids are also important sources of spices and herbs used to flavor food, including the spices black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
and nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
, and the herb bay laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
.