Cucumber Tree
Magnolia acuminata
Tree species, approximately 20 m tall, with inconspicuous flowers. Blooms with inconspicuous flowers in April and May after the foliage. Leaf blade is up to 25 cm long, pointed at the top.
Shoots: Shoots are glabrous, plain and shiny; seldom hairy by the buds.
Natural range: Eastern part of North America; in our area introduced.
Buds
Buds have 1 scale. The terminal bud is 2 to 3 cm long, slim with short hairs, grayish o-white or olive. The axillary buds get smaller in downwards direction.
Leaves
Leaves are simple. The lamina is up to 25 cm long, elliptic to longish-ovate, with a short tip. At the basis the lamina is cuneate to rounded. The face is dark green, the underside is lighter with an exserted venation. In youth the leaves are pilose, afterwards the face become glabrous. The leaf margin is entire.
Fruits
Fruits are arranged in the „cucumber-like“ aggregate fruit, up to 7,5 cm tall, oblong to ovoid, mostly curved. After maturing red-colored, leathery. It breaks in several places. Seeds are almost spherical, red, hanging on whitish strings.