Species: Magnolia grandiflora
English Name: Southern Magnolia
Chinese Name: 荷花玉蘭丶洋玉蘭丶廣玉蘭
Family: Magnoliaceae
Description:
Evergreen large trees, up to 30 m in native place, bark pale brown or grey, thin scaly fissured, twigs, buds, abaxial surfaces of leaves and petioles densely brown or grayish brown tomentellate. Floweare large, solitary, terminal, white, fragrant, similar to lotus flower.
It is mainly cultivated.
Preparation: Flower buds and bark are used. Flower buds are collected in early summer, dried in sun. Bark can be collected in all seasons.
Properties: Acrid in taste, warm in nature.
Actions and Indications: Flowers: expels wind, alleviates pain, lowers blood pressure. Indicated for common cold of wind-cold type marked by headache, stuffy nose and lower blood pressure. Bark: promotes qi circulation, alleviates pain. Indicated for gastric flatulence and abdominal pain.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Hong Kong Herbarium and South China Botanical Garden. (2008). Flora of Hong Kong, Volume 1. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong.
– Chan Shek-Kiu and Wu Qi-Gen. Chinese Medicinal Herbs of Macao (Volume 1), Macao, University of Macau, 2003.