Magnolia subsect. Talauma (Juss.) Figlar & Nooteboom (2004: 90)

Testé, Ernesto, García-Beltrán, José Angel, Palmarola, Alejandro, Robert, Thierry & Bécquer, Eldis R., 2023, Taxonomic update of Magnolia subsect. Talauma (Magnoliaceae) from Cuba, Phytotaxa 598 (2), pp. 124-132 : 126

Magnolia subsect. Talauma (Juss.) Figlar & Nooteboom (2004: 90) .

Evergreen trees with stipules adnate to the petioles, soon deciduous, leaving a scar on both edges of the adaxial side of petiole, converging apically. Leaf blade with entire margin, orbicular, widely elliptic, ovate, reniform, oblongelliptical, obovate, apex round and obtuse, retuse, truncate, subtruncated, emarginate and cuneiform, base truncate to round, rarely subtruncate, surface glabrous, prominently reticulate-veined on both sides, midrib flat above prominent beneath, adaxial surface dark green, abaxial light green. Flowers terminal, solitary with the perianth differentiated, 9(-12) elements with a cyclic arrangement, sepals three, generally greenish, petals 6(-9) greenish, yellowish, white or cream, stamens numerous (up to 275), cream to white, in a helical arrangement with poorly differentiated filaments and short cuneate supraconnective, gynoecium generally of many carpels (up to 222), rarely oligomeric (up to 27), helical, functionally apocarpic, formed by conduplicate carpels with an elongate style and lateral or subapical stigma. Fruits conical polyfollicles, fructules with transverse (circumcissile) and incomplete dorsal dehiscence with the distal part of these detaching from the persistent bases in the axis of the fruit, sometimes each fructule also partially or totally open dorsally.

Key to the Cuban Magnolia species of subsection Talauma

1. Trees or shrubs, up to 14 m tall, 0.23 m in diameter, leaves oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, ≥2.5 times as long as wide.................. ..................................................................................................................................................................................... M. oblongifolia

– Trees 25–30 m tall, 0.62–0.76 m in diameter, leaves elliptic or ovate, reniform, <2.5 times as long as wide...................................2

2. Carpels 5-8, spherical or elliptic polyfollicles, 1.6–4.0 × 1.2–3.0 cm, endemic from Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa........................ M. minor

– Carpels (15–)20–27, spherical polyfollicles, 4.5 × 4.0 cm, endemic to Sierra Maestra................................................. M. orbiculata