Cloudforest magnolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cloudforest magnolia |
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Magnolia
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| Species: |
dealbata
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Magnolia dealbata is a beautiful flowering plant from the Magnoliaceae family. It grows naturally in Mexico. People often call it the cloudforest magnolia or eloxochitl. Some scientists think it might be a type of Magnolia macrophylla, which is a similar tree found in the southeastern United States.
What it Looks Like
The Magnolia dealbata is a tree that loses its leaves every year (it's called a deciduous tree). It usually grows about 25 meters (82 feet) tall. Some very big trees can even reach 40 to 50 meters (130 to 160 feet) high! Its flowers are large and white, growing up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) long. The leaves are also very wide, reaching up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length.
Where it Lives
This special tree only grows in certain cloud forests in Mexico. You can find it in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca mountains in northern Oaxaca. It lives at elevations between 600 and 1,900 meters (about 2,000 to 6,200 feet).
Scientists have found more than ten groups of these trees. The area where they grow covers about 2,750 to 3,000 square kilometers (about 1,060 to 1,160 square miles). The biggest group has over a thousand trees.
It likes to grow in humid, misty mountain forests. Other trees like Magnolia oaxacensis, Pinus chiapensis, and Liquidambar styraciflua grow nearby.
For a while, people thought this tree had disappeared forever. But luckily, it was found again in 1977!
Why it's Called Eloxochitl
The name eloxochitl was given to this tree by the Aztecs. It comes from two words in their language, Nahuatl. "Elotl" means "green ear of corn," and "xochitl" means "flower."
What it's Used For
The Magnolia dealbata is grown as an ornamental plant. This means people plant it in gardens because its flowers are beautiful.
Its wood is also used for timber. People have traditionally used parts of the plant as a medicinal plant. They used it for heart problems, asthma, and stomach aches. The lovely flowers are also used as decorations for special spiritual and cultural events.
See also
In Spanish: Magnolia dealbata para niños
