Magnolia Issue 105
Magnolias of The
Morton Arboretum
Matthew Lobdell
Curator of Living Collections
Introduction
In 1922, The Morton Arboretum
was founded by Joy Morton in
Lisle, Illinois. Mr. Morton, also
known for his founding of the
Morton Salt Company, had long
held an interest in the cultiva-
tion and conservation of trees.
After all, the family motto was
“plant trees”, and his father, J.
Sterling Morton, founded Arbor
Day in Nebraska City in 1872.
Today, the Morton Arboretum
exists as a 1,780 acre public gar-
den with the mission to collect
and study trees, shrubs, and
other plants from around the
world, to display them across
naturally beautiful landscapes
for people to study and en-
joy, and to learn how to grow
them in ways that enhance the
environment.
Located deep within Chicago’s
Western Suburbs, the Arbo-
retum is bisected by both the
DuPage River and Illinois Route
53, the latter serving as a bound-
ary splitting regions and collec-
tions of the Arboretum between
the “east side” and “west side”.
The Arboretum’s collections
are generally interpreted as ei-
ther taxonomic or geographic
in scope, with the Quercus and
Betula collections examples of
the former, and the Midwest
and Japan collections examples
of the latter. In 2011, The Mor-
ton Arboretum was designated
as a Nationally Accredited Plant
Collection™ for Magnolia by the
Plant Collections Network pro-
gram of the American Public
Gardens Association in recogni-
tion of Standards of Excellence
in collections management and
Morton collection in early spring
curation of the genus. Through
this accreditation, The Morton
Arboretum joined several other
gardens across North America
to form a Multi-site Magnolia
collection. The Arboretum also
holds such accredited collec-
tions for Acer, Malus, Quercus,
Tilia, and Ulmus. Priority for
new acquisitions is given to bo-
tanical species of documented
wild origin, and the Arboretum
has completed seed collecting
expeditions across the United
States, Republic of Georgia,
Azerbaijan, and China over
the past decade to further this
purpose. Cultivars are also of
interest, particularly those rec-
ommended for planting in the
Upper Midwest, or those cho-
sen for evaluation to determine
their performance in the region.
Though the size of the prop-
erty, certainly within the upper
echelon of North American Ar-
boreta, allows for the space to
develop diverse tree collections,
growing conditions at the Ar-
boretum can often be difficult.
Winters are harsh. The site falls
into USDA Hardiness Zone 5b,
indicating an average annual
minimum winter temperature
between -15 to -10°F (-26 to
-12°C). Plants are also subjected
to desiccating winds over the
winter months, whereas sum-
mers are often hot and humid.
Topography is generally flat
with little variation across the
site. The predominant soil type
is heavy alkaline clay, in some
cases with the pH approaching
as high as 8. Spring wetness is
common across the site, exac-
erbated by the soil conditions
and general lack of topogra-
phy, resulting in problematic
poor drainage and perched
water tables. Agricultural tile
drains were installed during
the property’s previous life as
a farmland in the mid-1800’s,
improving drainage in many
areas. These have proven criti-
cal to keeping plant collections
in good health, and many tile
drains have been rebuilt or rein-
stalled over the past decade for
this purpose.
I joined the staff of The Mor-
ton Arboretum in fall 2014, and
in my short tenure as Curator
have attempted to continue the
endeavor of actively experi-
menting with a wide diversity
of species and cultivars to help
1
Magnolia Issue 105

of M. sprengeri and M. zenii to

as of so far, promising results.
M. obovata, M. officinalis, and
M. sieboldii are also well suited
to the conditions at the Arbore-
tum. Magnolia scale can be an
issue in some years but is typi-
cally kept at bay by scouting
and control efforts by our dili-
gent horticultural staff.

There are no naturally occur-

ring Magnolia plants on the Ar-
boretum grounds as Northern
Illinois is devoid of native Mag-
nolia species. The closest spe-
Magnolia salicifolia cies, M. acuminata, just barely
reaches the state’s southernmost
establish the limits of their har- the Arboretum, particular with counties. Spontaneous magno-
diness. My notes of relative suc- frosts in mid-late April. The lias, however, are not unheard
cesses or failures throughout the least commonly frosted appears of. On occasion, a seedling M.
article are based on my personal to be, ironically, M. biondii, of acuminata or M. kobus appears
observations over the past four which the Arboretum has sev- on the woodland’s edges, often
growing seasons and should eral plants from a 2002 collec- lost and unnoticed in a thicket
likely be viewed as anecdotal tion from a residential prop- until it reveals itself when flow-
rather than trial-based evidence. erty in Shanxi Province, China. ering at maturity.
Though the site conditions may These trees flower at the first
not be perfect, magnolias are hint of spring and have often Magnolia Collections and
adaptable plants, and the Arbo- evaded a frost by concluding Significant Specimens
retum boasts an impressive as- their cycle prior to the arrival of There are two collections at the
semblage of taxa with 23 species a late frost, or perhaps the “last Arboretum devoted to Magnolia
and 46 cultivars. Of the species hint of winter”. in a taxonomic sense, and mag-
native to North America (ex- nolias appear frequently in the
cluding Mexico), all with the ex- The Arboretum has begun ex- China and Appalachia collec-
ception of Magnolia grandiflora perimenting with cultivation tions owing to their prominence
thrive here, though many of the
North American “bigleaf” types
require some site selection in or-
der to provide shelter from the
wind. Considering East Asian
taxa, the hardy Yulania types all
appear to be adapted, includ-
ing M. denudata, M. kobus, M.
liliiflora, M. salicifolia, M. stellata,
and all of the common hybrids
between them. The main issue
with cultivating these is no dif-
ferent than it is across most of
the world: the flowers are prone
to damage from late spring
frosts. M. ×soulangeana has been
the most commonly damaged
during the past four years at Magnolia biondii
2

in those geographic regions.
Due to their impressive spring
floral display, they of course
also play an important role in
the Arboretum’s various dis-
play gardens. Three prominent
and healthy ‘Gold Star’ stand
outside the entrance to the
Children’s Garden, and three
reliable ‘Ann’ greet the pres-
ence of any visitor walking into
the Arboretum’s Plant Clinic.
Though the tree has since been
removed, long-term visitors
to and veteran staff members
of the Arboretum speak of a
magnificent M. ×soulangeana
‘Alexandrina’ that stood outside
of the Administration build-
ing. Received from Littleford
Nurseries of Vincennes, Indiana
in the 1950’s, its flowers were
quite dark in color, much more
in line with the “dark form” of
the cultivar. It was replaced by
another specimen outside the
Visitor’s Center, this one rep-
resentative of the “pale form”
more commonly cultivated in
America. Our oldest living Mag-
nolia is a M. ×soulangeana, which
long went unnoticed in a thicket
abutting the Morton Family
Cemetery. Once uncovered in a
recent inventory, an old zinc la-
bel attached to the tree revealed
its accession number, allowing
its origin to be traced. It was
purchased from the then nearby
Naperville Nurseries and given
as a gift to Joy Morton in 1925.
The region currently deemed
as the Arboretum’s primary
Magnolia collection is located
on the east side of the Arbore-
tum. Originally initiated as the
“Magnoliidae” collection in
1981, it included several gar-
den beds containing related
plant taxa such as Berberis,
Calycanthus, and Mahonia, and it
also served as the Arboretum’s
Magnolia acuminata
primary vine collection with a
large planting of Clematis. Of the
early spring flowering Magnolia
in this area, the first to flower
is usually M. ×proctoriana. They
are supplemented by several
mature specimens of M. stellata
and M. kobus, as well as two M.
denudata dating to a 1995 seed
collection in Shaanxi Province,
China. As mentioned above,
M. ×soulangeana is frequently
damaged by spring frosts at the
Arboretum, though the cultivar
‘Lennei’ has generally flowered
a week or so later, and a speci-
men here dating back to the
1950’s tends to put on a strong
show most years.
As spring turns to summer, the
focus in this area tends to pass
to later blooming taxa such as
M. obovata and M. tripetala. One
of the most impressive speci-
mens here is a M. macrophylla
received from J.C. McDaniel
in 1975. Though visitors accus-
tomed to the height and vigor
of this species in its native range
would hardly be impressed, the
sheer size of the flowers and
vaguely tropical appearance of
the massive undulating leaves
have astounded many local
residents during an afternoon
walk through the Arboretum.
Many are often also surprised
to see two specimens of M.
Magnolia Issue 105
macrophylla var. ashei and M.
fraseri var. pyramidata thriving
this far north. These taxa are the
rarest of the magnolias found
within the United States: one is
restricted to the Florida Panhan-
dle, the other is sparsely distrib-
uted along the gulf coast and
adjacent piedmont from Florida
to East Texas. The performance
of these two trees demonstrates
the adaptability of both taxa
outside their native range and
suggests the Arboretum could
play a role in the ex-situ conser-
vation of both, helping to serve
as a “living gene bank” provid-
ing a backup for the germplasm
represented by the native popu-
lations of these species.
In 2015, renovations to this col-
lection began following an ini-
tiative to focus the scope of the
site from Magnoliidae to Mag-
nolia. Shrub and vine beds were
dissolved, with many plants
removed and those most valu-
able accessions propagated or
transplanted to the relevant
geographic collection. Only a
bed of Xanthorhiza simplicissima
(yellowroot), perhaps the best
performing patch of this species
in Northern Illinois, remains as
heritage of the previous identity
of this collection. However, the
space provided by these remov-
als allowed for the collection
to grow in diversity. Recent
plantings have included culti-
vars such as ‘Cotton Candy’,
‘Goldfinch’, ‘Judy Zuk’, ‘March
Magnolia obovata
3
Magnolia Issue 105
Solitary flower of Magnolia ‘Blushing Belle’
til Frost’, ‘Yellow Lantern’, and
‘Wildcat’. We have also planted
a ‘Jolly Roger’ of dubious hardi-
ness in the shelter of a nearby
Taxus planting, where hope-
fully it will survive our win-
ters with a bit more protection
from the wind. Of all the recent
plantings, none have simulta-
neously me brought more joy
and pain than ‘Blushing Belle’.
Gifted to the Arboretum during
a visit to the University of Dela-
ware Botanic Gardens follow-
ing the 2016 Magnolia Society
International Annual Meeting
in Philadelphia, this accession
was planted out shortly after
returning to the Arboretum. It
established well over the 2016
growing season and tolerated
an admittedly mild winter,
though I often visited the plant
over these months to check on
the status of the flower buds
in hopes they would make it
through unscathed. I watched
several abort, and by March
deemed there were only one
or two promising buds left.
That spring, one solitary flower
emerged, which I jested surely
must have been the most pho-
tographed flower in the Arbo-
retum that year. For the week
or so it bloomed, it was rare to
observe the plant without at
least one camera pointed at it.
The plant sadly died shortly
after leafing out in 2018, likely
due to some combination of
verticillium wilt and graft
union failure. Though I intend
4
to introduce this cultivar to the
collection again, a ‘Rose Marie’
has been planted in the place va-
cated by ‘Blushing Belle’, which
hopefully will have a similar
draw and encourage foot traffic
into the collection.
The collection has also seen the
addition of new interpretive
panels, artwork, and gather-
ing places following a project
sponsored by the Institute of
Museum and Library Services.
Three new panels were in-
stalled: one communicating the
importance of conservation for
rare taxa such as M. macrophylla
var. ashei and M. fraseri var.
pyramidata, one communicat-
ing the importance of breeding
initiatives to create new culti-
vars such as ‘Butterflies’, and
one explaining the status of the
Magnolia as a “living fossil”. A
large photograph of M. ‘Eliza-
beth’ was printed and mounted,
helping to encourage visitors
to explore the collection even
when the spring flowering dis-
play has ceased. Finally, a cedar
swinging bench was installed,
inspired by the association of
the magnolia tree with southern
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’
heritage and serving as a popu-
lar place for visitors to stop and
reflect during a walk through
the magnolias.
The other Magnolia collection
is located on the west-side.
Though less actively developed,
this collection is actually older,
with the first plantings begin-
ning in 1966. A hillside pro-
vides the opportunity to utilize
topography, but is located in a
frost pocket. The base of the hill
contains a few mature speci-
mens including ‘Green Star’
and ‘Rohrbach’. A few Ledvina
hybrids are also located here.
In 2015, we actually observed
extensive frost damage to the
flowers of the Ledvina hybrid
‘Wedding Vows’, one usually
more than sufficiently late flow-
ering to escape frost damage in
this climate. Two large M. kobus
‘Nana Compacta’ also stand
here, which provide an interest-
ing globe shaped form, but are
probably some of my least fa-
vorite magnolias on the grounds
as I have only seen one branch
produce three scant flowers
during my tenure. Traveling up
the hillside, the collection saw

some significant development
in 2000 with the addition of
multiple yellow-flowering hy-
brids including ‘Ivory Chalice’,
‘Limelight’, ‘Yellow Fever’, ‘Yel-
low Lantern’, ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Gold
Star’, and ‘Butterflies’. The
planting in close proximity al-
lows for the ease of side by side
comparisons. As of current, my
personal favorite of this plant-
ing is ‘Miss Honeybee’ with its
smaller stature and bright yel-
low flowers. Also demonstrat-
ing a great deal of pubescence
to the new growth, it is prob-
ably the plant in our collections
that best fits the description of
M. acuminata var. subcordata.
Also of note is a M. tripetala we
received from Roy Klehm, as
a seedling collected from Phil
Savage’s ‘Bloomfield’. Owing
to its superior provenance, it is
probably the best example of
this species in the Arboretum,
flowering more profusely and
its foliage staying much more
intact throughout the season. M.
‘Coral Lake’, often the last of the
precocious magnolias to flower,
is located at both the base and
summit of the hill, serving to
bookend the collection. Though
a bit outside the official bound-
aries of the collection, some of
the most impressive magnolias
on the property are located just
west of here, along Joy Path.
For instance, there are two M.
Magnolia ‘Coral Lake’
acuminata, both purchased from
the Corn Belt Nursery and For-
estry Association in 1928, which
now stand nearly 80 ft in height
with flowers generally only vis-
ible after falling to the ground.
Future Directions and
Initiatives
The Magnolia collection on the
east side continues to expand.
Over twenty plants are slated to
be added in Spring 2019, includ-
ing cultivars such as the Illinois
origin ‘Gere’, ‘Illini Gold’, and
‘Illini Moonlight’ as well as
more broadly available selec-
tions including ‘Blue Opal’,
‘Dark Diva’, and ‘Daybreak’.
Species of documented wild
origin continue to be a priority,
though more time and patience
is required to see this to frui-
tion. This fall, the Morton Ar-
boretum participated in a seed
collecting expedition to West-
ern Hubei done in collaboration
with NACPEC (North America-
China Plant Exploration Con-
sortium), which resulted in suc-
cessful collection of M. biondii,
M. denudata, and M. sprengeri.
Hopefully future expeditions
to China will allow for the ac-
quisition of M. amoena and M.
cylindrica from provinces likely
to hold germplasm suitable for
cultivation at the Arboretum.
Our efforts to participate in the
ex-situ conservation of M. fraseri
var. pyramidata are also likely to
continue. In collaboration with
Bartlett Tree Research Labora-
tories and Arboretum, Chicago
Botanic Garden, Gardens of the
Big Bend (University of Florida-
North Florida Research and
Education Center), and Mercer
Arboretum, the Morton Arbo-
retum led a seed collecting ex-
pedition across the gulf coast
with the purpose of enhancing
Magnolia Issue 105
Magnolia ×wiesneri ‘Áashild Kalleberg’
the diversity of germplasm in
cultivation (See Lobdell, 2017
in Magnolia Issue 101). Though
seed collection was largely suc-
cessful, production failure was
common in many institutions,
likely owing to the difficulty of
overwintering M. fraseri types
as small seedlings (E. Guthrie,
pers. comm). Further initiatives
to scout, collect seed, and culti-
vate this taxon will be required
in order to ensure its represen-
tation in cultivation.
With the impending centennial
of The Morton Arboretum in
2022, the institution will soon
celebrate a century of cultivat-
ing trees in Northern Illinois.
Though there is still plenty of
space for our collections to ex-
pand, challenges will include
developing a collection while
remaining cognizant of the pre-
dicted impacts of global climate
change. It may be that the mag-
nolias that thrive in Northern
Illinois today are not those that
thrive here in the next century.
However, regardless of how
large or how diverse it becomes,
the Magnolia collection will
never truly be finished. Trees
though long-lived maintain fi-
nite life spans, and the selection,
acquisition, and evaluation of
new magnolias will always be
ongoing to ensure the existence
of a collection that can be stud-
ied and enjoyed for current and
future generations.
5
Magnolia Issue 105
Léon Chenault’s
Magnolias
Jean-Pierre Morby
Léon Chenault was a French
nurseryman and botanist who
was born the 28th of March 1853
and died the 27th of January
1930 in Orléans.
At the age of 14 he began as a
novice for the nursery Briolay
in Orléans. A few years later
he was foreman, and in 1885
he started his own company
“Pépinières Chenault”. Thirty
years later, his 1914 catalog
proposed more than 3000
plants. He was particularly
skilled with cuttings, graftings
and seedlings and succeded
where most others failed. His
expertise encompassed a vast
range of plants: perennials,
shrubs (Tamarix, Ceanothus, and
Syringa), trees including coni-
fers, and of course the genus
Magnolia.
Léon Chenault was appreci-
ated by his fellow nurserymen,
enough to be nicknamed “our
master”. Many hybrids and
cultivars were named to honor
his work: Viburnum × burk-
woodii ‘Chenaultii’, Ligustrum
× chenaultii, Symphoricarpos ×
chenaultii, Berberis × chenaultii,
Rose ‘Ami Léon Chenault’ and
many more. He was made “Che-
valier de la Légion d’honneur”
in 1929 in recognition of his in-
dustrious work.
Léon Chenault also created his
own ornemental garden, called
“jardin d’expérience”, where
he tested the best plants he had
helped to introduce in France.
After his death in 1930, his son
Raymond ran the nursery un-
til the 1960s and continued the
work of his father, mainly with
6
hybridization of roses. Ray-
mond died in 1969.
In 1934, a fundraising campaign
was initiated by various horti-
cultural societies and the Saint
Fiacre’s cometee in “Le Journal
du Loiret” (October 6th, 1934) to
offer a “monument” to the city
of Orléans. Resulting from this
memorial was a bust by Charles
Million, named the “Monu-
ment à Léon Chenault”, which
is nowadays in the public park
of “Louis Pasteur” in Orléans.
In the 1990s, another park was
named after the famous child of
the city.
The “garden of experience” in the early
1940s (just before its destruction)
Chenault’s “garden of experi-
ence” was destroyed in 1943 in
order to build tenements.
The Magnolias
Thanks to Maurice de Vilmorin
(a member of the world fa-
mous family of botanists and
Chenault’s Questionnaire Responses
Name Height*
Magnolia dawsoniana 3 meters
Magnolia delavayi 3 meters
Magnolia officinalis Hardy
Magnolia sargentiana 4 meters
Magnolia nicholsoniana** 3 meters
Magnolia wilsonii 3 meters
* height in January 1929
** nicholsoniana invalid name, now Magnolia sieboldii ssp. sinensis
horticulturists who owned a
major nursery for more than
two centuries), Chenault got
access to collections from pres-
tigious institutions includ-
ing, Kew Gardens and Arnold
Arboretum.
According to “Wilson’s plants
in cultivation”, an unpublished
manuscript by E. H. Wilson
given to the Arnold Arbore-
tum and partially published in
“Magnolia” (Vol XVI n°2 Fall-
Winter 1980), Charles Sargent
suggested in the summer of
1913 that all of Wilson’s mag-
nolias be sent to the Chenault
nursery at Orléans, France since
the seedlings were not hardy
at the Arnold Arboretum. The
plants were to be propagated by
the Chenault firm and distrib-
uted as they wished in Europe.
Wilson wrote, “M. Chenault
was successful in propagating
it and due to his skill a number
of plants are now established in
European gardens.”
In the archives of the Arnold
Arboretum (Correspondance
of Ernest Henry Wilson – series
W.XIII, box 20, folder 5) we can
read Chenault’s answers to
the questionnaire sent by Wil-
son, focusing on the Magnolia
selection:
When Planted Flowered for the
First Time in
1912 Has not flowered
1910 Has not flowered
1925 Has not flowered
1912 Has not flowered
1912 Flowered in 1924
1912 Flowered in 1920

Here is the translation of the first
part of the letter from Chenault,
written the 28th of January, 1929
in Orléans:
“Dear Mister Wilson,
I have the pleasure to return to
you the questionnaire you’ve
sent to me with the observations
I have been able to do concern-
ing the mentioned plants. Here
the magnolias from China flour-
ish except for Magnolia delavayi,
which suffers during the harsh
winters...”
After my own research in the
local “Jardin des plantes”, and
according to the actual mem-
bers of the horticultural society
(SHOL: Société d’Horticulture
Chenault’s letter and signature (the second
part of the letter is about Quercus, Davidia,
Populus...)
d’Orléans et du Loiret) there
is no Magnolia survivor today
that could have been planted by
Chenault in or around Orléans.
The Chenault nursery was a
private business and when its
activities stopped, everything
disapeared. No transmission
to another nursery, no archives
(maybe lost during the World
War II) and no records of the
sales to any garden.
Fortunately, the Vilmorin’s
Arboretum in Nogent-sur-
Vernisson (now known as “Ar-
boretum National des Barres”
and run by the ONF/ French
Forestry Commission) has not
been completely destroyed, and
they still have two of Chenault’s
Magnolia Issue 105
magnolias that were planted in
1925. I visited the place in April
2018 and saw the trees: one
Magnolia dawsoniana in flower
(pictures below) and one Mag-
nolia sargentiana, which was al-
most dead. They stand in the
garden known as “Fruticetum
Vilmorinianum” where Léon
Chenault was very active dur-
ing the 1900s and 1910s under
the authority of Maurice de
Vilmorin (1849 - 1918).
In the book “Arbres et arbustes
d’ornement de pleine terre”
written in 1925 by S. Mottet,
head gardener at the Vilmorin-
Andrieux nursery refers to Wil-
son’s magnolias, stating that
“Magnolia dawsoniana, Magnolia
nicholsoniana, Magnolia sargen-
tiana and its variety robusta are
7
Magnolia Issue 105
species recently introduced
from China, are rare, have not
yet flowered and are still imper-
fectly known”. However, in the
Vilmorin’s catalogs of 1935 and
1936, there is no trace of these
species. Only one evergreen (M.
grandiflora) and one decidious
(probably × soulangiana) mag-
nolia are available, along with
seeds of either M. grandiflora,
M. macrophylla, M. denudata
(under the name Yulan), M. ×
‘Lennei’, and M. × ‘Purpurea’.
It seems that soon after their in-
troductions, the new magnolias
were forgotten or neglected and
were no longer available for sale
in France. That was the same
until the last years of the twenti-
eth century.
On the other side of the Chan-
nel, the plants sent by Chenault
to Kew have been distributed
to different gardens including
Rowallane in Northern Ire-
land, where a M. dawsoniana
(documented from Chenault
nursery) is still alive in 2018.
In Borde Hill, according to the
head gardener Andy Stevens,
they have two Chenault magno-
lias surviving in the garden: M.
dawsoniana and M. sargentiana
var. robusta. The M. sargentiana
var. robusta first flowered in
1938. In Nymans, according to
the assistant head gardener Joe
Whelan, we know that there is
now only one remaining Mag-
nolia from Chenault nursery:
M. sargentiana var. robusta (still
in great health). M. dawsoniana
was lost in a storm in the 80’s.
We can easily imagine that these
examples are not the only ones,
and other Chenault magnolias
are probably alive and well.
In the Bristish isles, the continu-
ity of gardens is a lot better than
in France. World War II has not
8
destroyed as many places as in
France, and the history, the tra-
ditions, and the maintenance
of gardens are very different.
But maybe we will find a “lost
Chenault’s Magnolia” in a re-
mote country estate somewhere
in France someday.
It could be interesting to study
the local conditions (e.g. soil
and climate) of the places where
the plants are in good health
(e.g. Borde Hill), where they
are in bad health (Les Barres),
and where Wilson originally
found the fruits in China. Af-
ter more or less a century, an
uncommon and precious set of
circumstances exist for a study,
at least for the two species still
alive in different places M. daw-
soniana and M. sargentiana var.
robusta that are believed to be of
the same origin (i.e. same lot of
seeds) and the same propagator
(Chenault of course). Why not
try to cooperate with members
of the MSI in the different coun-
tries? À suivre...
Acknowledgements:
Erland Ejder, Swedish Magno-
lia Group
Larissa Elaine Glasser, Arnold
Arboretum Horticultural Li-
brary, USA
Gilles Gomez, Société
d’horticulture d’Orléans et du
Loiret, France
Averill Milligan, Rowallane gar-
dens, Northern Ireland
Joe Whelan, Nymans gardens,
West Sussex, UK
Andy Stevens, Borde Hill gar-
dens, West Sussex, UK
 Magnolia Issue 105

New Cultivar
Registration
Matthew Lobdell

‘Dusty Pink’
(Magnolia sprengeri var.
diva)
This selection originates from
a wide survey of Magnolia
sprengeri in central China com-
pleted by Erland Ejder and
Yongxiang Kang from 2008-
2010, revealing the remarkable
amount of variability within the
species (See Yongxiang Kang
and Erland Ejder. 2011. Magno-
lia sprengeri Pamp.: Morphologi-
cal variation and geographical
distribution. Plant Biosystems,
145: 906-923).
One plant found in Southwest-
ern Hubei Province (30°08´ N
110°50´ E, 1360m) was deter-
mined of particular merit con-
sidering both the diversity of the
species and the selections cur-
rently in cultivation. Given the
cultivar epithet of ‘Dusty Pink’,
it has been vegetatively propa-
gated and eventually forms a
large tree with a distinct leader
and ascending branches. A chip
budded tree in a cool European
climate is 20 ft (6 m) tall after ten
years. It has shown good com-
patibility with the rootstocks of
M. kobus, M. acuminata and M.
‘George Henry Kern’ for chip
budding. The selection is cur-
rently being distributed by Er-
land Ejder and Yaling Wang, but
is not commercially available.
Leaves are mostly obovate
with the apices abruptly
short-acuminate but the length
to width proportions vary con-
siderably, with some leaves
tending towards orbicular
shape. Flowers emerge early
season before the leaves, with
flowering extending into early
foliage stage. They typically
consist of 15 petaloid tepals, but
there is some variation in this
number within the same plant.
Tepals are typically 4.7 in (12
cm) in length and 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
in width. Tepals are pink, deeper
on the outside (RHS N66A-D,
bottom to top) and somewhat
paler pink on the inside (RHS
69A-B). Stamens and filaments
are red (RHS 68B) and the
gynoecium green (RHS 142B).
The selection is very floriferous
and has the merit of producing
its first flowers at an early age
after grafting (chipping): about
5 years in a cool climate, about 4
years in a warm climate. It may
be compared to M. sprengeri var.
diva ‘Diva’, though ‘Dusty Pink’
has more tepals which are nar-
rower and deeper pink on the
inside.
where lots of dust was raised
by a small sturdy truck carrying
iron ore. “Dusty” is also a girl’s
name.
Registered by Erland Ejder
(University of Lund and Swed-
ish Magnolia Group, SLU,
Alnarp, Sweden), Yongxiang
Kang (Northwest A&F Univer-
sity, Yangling, Shaanxi, People’s
Republic of China) and Yaling
Wang (Xi’an Botanical Garden,
Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Repub-
lic of China).
The cultivar epithet and a photo-
graph have previously appeared
in publication in The Plantsman,
7:4, Dec 2008, by Kang Yongxiang,
Erland Ejder, Wang Yaling, Henrik
Sjöman and Yang Mei.

This magnolia takes its name

from the place where it was
found: at the slope off a very
narrow steep mountain road
9
Magnolia Issue 105
Assessment of the
population size,
geographic distribution
and conservation
status of Magnolia
resupinatifolia
Aguilar-Cano &
Humberto Mend
in Northern Andes
of Colombia:
Participative science
for the conservation
of plant - people
relationships
Nataly A. Pimiento-Quiroga1, Melisa
Ayala-Joya1, Néstor Espejo2, Björn
Reu1.
1. Group of Studies in Socio-
Ecological Landscapes (Pasoeco).
Escuela de Biología, Universidad
Industrial de Santander, Cra.27 Calle
9, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia.
2. Fundación Natura, Cra. 21 #39-43
Bogotá, Colombia
Abstract
Colombia hosts the highest
number of endemic species of
the genus Magnolia. Most of
them occur in the Andes where
they are highly vulnerable to
habitat fragmentation and de-
struction. Several species of
Magnolia L. are used for timber,
and the woody fruits of some of
them, like Magnolia resupinatifolia
Aguilar-Cano & Humberto
Mend, are used as kitchen
tools (traditionally known as
Molinillos) to stir hot chocolate.
The aim of this study was to un-
derstand the distribution, pop-
ulation size and conservation
status of M. resupinatifolia, a tree
of great cultural importance at
the northern part of the Serranía
de los Yariguíes. This is espe-
cially the case for the municipal-
ity of San Vicente de Chucurí,
(Santander, Colombia), which
is one of the main producers of
cocoa in the country. To register
10
the individuals, preferential ran-
dom walks were implemented
by four teams within the study
area. Diameter at breast height,
reproductive status, the identity
of the four nearest trees, and
land use type were recorded for
each tree. 143 trees of M. resupi-
natifolia were found mainly dis-
tributed on the mountain ridges
from 1350 to 1906 meters above
sea level (m.a.s.l.) covering an
extension of occurrence of 24.6
km2 and an area of occupancy
of 3.9 km2. This classifies the
species as critically endangered
(CR) according to the B1 and
B2 criteria, and as endangered
(EN) by the criterion D devel-
oped by the IUCN (IUCN 2017).
This study was carried out with
the participation of the local
community, from the planning
of the fieldwork until the pro-
posal of concrete initiatives to
conserve the species. The strate-
gies arising from this survey are
fostering the protection of this
critically endangered species
and the recovery of cultural tra-
ditions through actions by the
local and academic community.
Hopefully this will contribute to
renew the Molinillo as a symbol
of local identity in one of the
biggest cocoa producer regions
of Colombia.
Introduction
The plant family Magnoliaceae
comprises around 350 spe-
cies distributed throughout the
Americas and Asia (Vázquez-
García et al., 2016). In the neo-
tropics, the family is only repre-
sented by the genus Magnolia L.
with approximately 150 species.
Colombia is the second rich-
est country after México with
36 species (Vázquez-García et
al., 2017). Furthermore, Co-
lombia hosts the highest num-
ber of endemic species, with
approximately 29 species (Agui-
lar-Cano et al, 2018), from which
24 can be found in the Andean
region. Most of these species are
located in humid and very hu-
mid forests, in altitudinal ranges
between 10 and 3300 m.a.s.l.
(Vázquez-Garcia et al., 2017) and
are vulnerable or endangered by
extinction (Bernal, 2015).
The Tropical Eastern Andes
is one of the five global cen-
ters of vascular plant diversity
(Barthlott et al., 2005), and the
northern part of this mountain
range is considered one of the
most important biodiversity
hotspots globally (Myers et al,
2000). The Colombian Andes
have been populated and trans-
formed since pre-colonial times,
and after 1500 the rate of defor-
estation has risen twenty fold
(Etter et al. 2008). Even though
deforestation in the Andean
region has decreased recently
(IDEAM 2017a), it presented a
deforestation rate of 16.7% in
2017, the largest deforested area
after the Amazon region in Co-
lombia. Forest fragmentation,
the establishment of pastures
and crops (Calderón et al., 2007)
as well as human settlements
likely affect the distributions
and population sizes of the spe-
cies from the genus Magnolia in
the Colombian Andes.
The Serranía de los Yariguíes
is a mountain ridge in the
North of Colombia with eleva-
tions ranging from 500 to 3400
m.a.s.l., separated from the
eastern Andes Cordillera by the
dry canyon of the Suarez River
at the east, and by the humid
valley of the Magdalena River
at the west (Donegan & Huer-
tas, 2005). The National Natural
Park Serranía de los Yariguíes
(NNP SYA) is located along

this mountain ridge, protecting
59.063 ha of tropical premon-
tane forests, montane forests,
and paramo ecosystems (Díaz,
2008). Its unique localization,
geographic isolation, and topo-
graphic complexity make it an
area of great importance for the
biogeography and biodiversity
of the Northern Andes. Recently
several new species to science
have been described, which are
likely endemic to this mountain
range, (Ayala-Joya et al., 2016;
Albornoz-Espinel et al., 2017;
Meza-Joya et al., 2017), one of
them M. resupinatifolia Aguilar-
Cano & Humberto Mend. (Agu-
ilar-Cano et al., 2018); the focus
of this study.
Figure 1. a-e. Magnolia resupinatifolia (molinillo). a) flower bud. b) flower in the tree. c) fruit hanging from a branch. f)
opening fruits. e) molinillos made with the woody fruit cores of the post dehiscent fruits (Photo taken by Jimmy Siza).
Although several conservation
projects have been carried out in
the northern part of the Serranía
de los Yariguíes (Table 1), M. re-
supinatifolia was collected for the
first time in 2014 and described
as a new species in 2018 (Agu-
ilar-Cano et al., 2018). From
2015 to 2018 a plant systematic
survey was done by the Unión
temporal (formed by Fundación
Natura, Fundación Guayacanal
and the Corporación para el Desar-
rollo y Paz del Magdalena Medio)
where new trees were recorded.
So far M. resupinatifolia has been
only observed in the buffer zone
of the northern part of the Ser-
rania de los Yariguies National
Natural Park (NNP SYA).
a b
c e
Magnolia Issue 105
Magnolia resupinatifolia belongs
to the subsection Talauma of
the section Talauma, which is
characterized by a fruit with
circumscissile dehiscence (Fig-
ure. 1C-D) and stipules adnate
to the petiole (Figlar & Noot-
eboom, 2004, in Aguilar-Cano
et al., 2018). Its vernacular
name, Molinillo, which is also
applied to other species in the
region like M. hernandezii, M.
chocoensis, M. gilbertoi, M. sam-
buensis and M. wolfii (Bernal et
al., 2015), is also the name given
to the post-dehiscent “cores” of
its large woody fruits. When at-
tached to the end of a stick or
dowel, the Molinillo (i.e. fruit
core) becomes the unique and
11
Magnolia Issue 105

indispensable kitchen tool to

stir the hot chocolate in many
Colombian household (Serna
& Vasquez 2010, Figure. 1E).
Although not as predominant,
some of these species of trees
are also used as timber for
house construction and mostly
as pulp wood with no commer-
cial value (Calderón et al., 2007).
a
The objective of this study was
to assess the distribution and
population size as well as the
conservation status of M. re-
supinatifolia Aguilar-Cano &
Humberto Mend.

Methods
Study area
This study was conducted at the
northern part of the Serranía de
los Yariguíes in the municipal-
ity of San Vicente de Chucurí
(Figure 2) between January and
March 2018. The field work was
conducted within three micro
basins: Los Medios, Las Cruces
and La Paramera. The first mi-
cro basin was composed by the
Veredas Chanchón, Morelia and
Santa Inés. The second one was
composed by Merida, Morelia
and Pradera, and the third one
was composed by Primavera
and Pradera.
Several plant surveys had been
done inside the National Natu-
ral Park Serranía de los Yariguíes
(NNP SYA) and its buffer zone
as shown in the Table 1.
Field sampling
To enrich the known occur-
rences of M. resupinatifolia with
the local knowledge and to
present the current conserva-
tion state of the Magnoliaceae
family in Colombia, a work-
shop with the local community
was held in December of 2017
12
b c
Figure 2. a) Location of the department of Santander within Colombia. b) National
Natural Park Serranía de los Yariguíes within Santander. c) Micro basins and veredas
that compose the study area.
Table 1. Research and conservation projects carried out
at the northern zone of the NNP SYA.
Institution and date when the Area sampled and method Source
research was done in the area used
Fundación Natura, 2011 32 temporary plots Internal Report.
(10x5m). Microcuenca las
cruces, NNP SYA and buf-
fer zone
“Joaquín Antonio Uribe” Magnoliaceae National Serna et al, 2009
Botanical Garden - Medellín, Conservation Strategy
Colombia.
Fundación Natura, 2013 6 permanent plots (20x10 Internal Report.
m)
Microcuenca las cruces,
NNP SYA and buffer zone
Universidad Industrial de 1 permanent plot (50x20 Bachelor Thesis
Santander, 2014 m) NNP SYA (Suarez, 2014)
Research Institute of Biologi- Magnoliaceae National Aguilar-Cano et
cal Resources Alexander von Conservation Strategy al, 2018
Humboldt, 2015
Unión Temporal*, 2015 36 temporary plots (50x10 Internal Report.
and 20x10m), NNP SYA National Natural
Parks
Unión Temporal 2016-2017 Random walks to collect Internal Report.
seeds. NNP SYA and buf- National Natural
fer zone Parks
*Unión Temporal is formed by Fundación Natura, Fundación Guayacanal and
Corporación para el Desarrollo y Paz del Magdalena Medio.

in the vereda Mérida. Invitations
were distributed throughout
the study area (i.e. at schools,
local stores, and houses located
on the main roads; see Figure 3)
among community leaders and
people who had participated
previously in conservations
projects. A social cartography
technique was used during the
workshop where participants
located crops, cattle-pastures,
forested areas and the spots in
which they knew or guessed M.
resupinatifolia would be present.
The study site was divided in
four, and the same number of
teams were formed in order
to do the field sampling. Each
team was composed by one
local expert, who had partici-
pated in previous projects in the
study region (Table 1), and the
researcher of this project. They
walked randomly covering the
extent of its assigned area us-
ing a Garmin etrex 10, starting
from M. resupinatifolia trees that
had been previously recorded
or indicated during the work-
shop. When an individual of M.
resupinatifolia was discovered,
the following variables were re-
corded: geographic coordinates,
Figure 3. Left: poster invitation to the workshop. Right: map created by participants
trunk diameter at breast height
(DBH), reproductive status
(non-reproductive, fruit, flower,
or both fruit and flower), the
identity of the four closest trees
and the land use (forest, coffee
and cacao plantation, or live-
stock pasture).
Finally, after field sampling,
two meetings with the commu-
nity were carried out to share
the findings about the popula-
tion and conservation status of
M. resupinatifolia and to inform
the public about the conserva-
tion status of the Magnoliaceae
family in Colombia. This study
involved local knowledge and
community engagement to gen-
erate information about a new
species of the genus Magnolia. It
will be of crucial importance to
design conservation strategies
for this species. Field work and
data analysis has been possible
with the kind financial support
by the Magnolia Society Interna-
tional organization.
Data Analysis
Population size and geographic
distribution of M. resupinati-
folia were analysed based on
the collected occurrences, GPS
Magnolia Issue 105
coordinates and altitudinal data.
To better understand its popula-
tion structure and dynamics in
size distribution, DBH distribu-
tions were analysed using histo-
grams (White et al, 2007).
Conservation status was deter-
mined by an extinction risk as-
sessment using the criteria B and
D of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN
2017). Here the B1 and B2 cri-
teria were used to estimate the
reduction in geographic range
extent (Harris et al. 2005): ex-
tent of occurrence (EOO) and
area of occupancy (AOO).
EOO was calculated through a
minimum convex polygon that
represents the smallest surface
that contains all the presence
records of the species. AOO
was calculated and refined by
three steps (Graham & Hijmans
2006). First, three sub polygons
were established covering the
localities where M. resupinatifo-
lia was found. Second, the AOO
was refined with the lower el-
evation limit (1350m). Third, in
each sub polygon a 30m reso-
lution layer of forest cover was
used (IDEAM 2017b) to fur-
ther constrain M. resupinatifolia
13
Magnolia Issue 105

occurrences. The pixels classi-

fied as forest were considered
as proxy of the optimal AOO,
because the species of Magnolia
genus is mainly associated with
forest habitats (Calderón et al.
2007; Rivers et al. 2016). This ap-
proach is more accurate because
it used a higher spatial resolu-
tion than recommended by
IUCN (30m vs 2km) and avoids
overestimations of the area of
occupation, which may have im-
portant implications in the con-
servation assessment (Graham
& Hijmans 2006, IUCN 2017).
The EOO and AOO maps for
the spatial analysis of the study
area were created using QGIS
software (QGIS Development
Team). Finally, the presence
of a very small and restricted
population (criterion D) was
estimated by the total number
of mature individuals recorded
during the field sampling.

Results
Population size and
distribution
M. resupinatifolia is distributed
in an altitudinal range from
1350 to 1906 m. a.s.l., which falls
within the distribution from 10
to 3300 m.a.s.l, reported by the
Colombian Magnolia species
survey (Bernal et al., 2015). Dur-
ing this survey, 143 trees were
mainly located on the ridges di-
viding the different watersheds.
Figure 4. Localities where M. resupinatifolia is distributed and area of the
micro basins described above. Points represent the individuals registered in
each locality: Morelia (green), San José-Varsovia (red) and Primavera (yellow).
The individuals are distrib- in turn is separated 1.6 km from
uted at three distinct localities: Primavera by the deep valley of
Morelia, San Jose-Varsovia and the Paramera micro basin (Fig-
Primavera. The former one is ure 4). The description of the
separated 3.48 km from San Jose- elevation range, land cover and
Varsovia by a valley formed by number of trees per locality is
Las Cruces micro basin, which provided in Table 2.

Table 2. Characteristics of the three localities sampled and total number of trees (and
in %) recorded at each location.
Localities Coordinates Elevation range Trees per land use Total number
of trees
Forest Plantation Livestock pasture

Morelia 6°52’42”N 1336 - 1600m 16 (44.4%) 14 (38.9%) 6 (16.7%) 36

73°22’22”W
SanJosé- 6°48’36”N 1350 - 1840m 47 (55.3%) 3 (3.5%) 35 (41.2%) 85
Varsovia 73°24’5”W
Primavera 6°46’9N 1750 -1900m 18 (81.8%) 0 (0%) 4 (18.2%) 22
73°24’59”W

14
 Magnolia Issue 105

The species is associated to

steep slopes and watershed di-
vides, in general displaying a
clumped distribution pattern.
It occurs mainly in the buffer
zone of the National Park, with
only a few individuals of San
José-Varsovia found inside the
protected area (Figure 4). From
the total number of individuals,
55.8% were found in forest frag-
ments of different successional
stages, 32.7% in cattle pastures
and 11.6% as shadow trees in
Figure 5. Number of individuals of M. resupinatifolia per DBH size class distribution
plantations of coffee, cacao, and
(broadly and in each locality).
lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.).
The proportion of trees per land
cover type varied within each
locality (Table 2).

As M. resupinatifolia is distrib-
uted along an extensive altitu-
dinal range, the plant composi-
tion of species associated with
it differed with altitude and
land use within each locality.
The most frequently associated
species were Clusia spp. (gaque),
Coussapoa spp. (choroloa), Ficus
spp. (Caucho), and Juglans neo-
tropica (nogal or cedro nogal).
Structural parameters
In this survey, tree trunk di-
ameter size of M. resupinatifolia
varied among localities. In Mo-
relia and in San José-Varsovia,
the number of individuals in
the first class interval was lower
than the number of individuals
in the second DBH category,
while in the Primavera sector,
in which selective logging has
been detected, almost all the
individuals were located in the
first class interval (Figure 5).
Flowering and fruiting
timing
M. resupinatifolia showed asyn-
chrony in flowering and fruit-
ing phenophases among indi-
viduals and localities. It was
Figure 6. Left: total number of individuals and percentage of their reproductive status
(none: non-reproductive/vegetative; both: individuals with flowers and fruits) along the
altitudinal gradient (in intervals of 100 m.a.s.l). Right: total number of individuals per
sampling locality and percentage of their reproductive status per locality.
observed that 63% of the in- Conservation Status.
dividuals were fertile (in fruit Magnolia resupinatifolia has an
30.1%, flower 8.4%, or fruit and extent of occurrence (EOO) of
flower 24.5%) while 37% were in 24.6 km2 and an area of occu-
a non-reproductive state. Addi- pancy (AOO) of 3.9 km2 (Fig-
tionally, there were differences ure 7), which classifies it within
in phenology along the altitu- the critically endangered (CR)
dinal range. The largest num- category by B1 and B2 criteria
ber of individuals as well as the (IUCN 2017). This category ap-
highest proportion of fertile in- plies to species with an EOO
dividuals were located at inter- <100 km2, a highly fragmented
mediate heights (1450–1550m; distribution at local scale (B1a),
1550–1650m; see Figure 6). The and an AOO <10 km2; which
locality of Morelia and San were confirmed as characteristic
José-Varsovia presented a simi- features in this case. Meanwhile
lar proportion of fertile trees for criterion D, M. resupinatifolia
(~70%). Meanwhile in Primav- qualified as an endangered spe-
era only 31.8% of the individuals cies (EN) since it had less than
were in reproductive condition. 250 mature individuals.
15
Magnolia Issue 105
Figure 7. Extent of occurrence EOO (blue polygon) and area of
occupancy AOO (green forest area) of M. resupinatifolia.
Discussion
This study has revealed 143 in-
dividuals of M. resupinatifolia
associated to steep slopes and
watershed divides, distributed
in a clumped pattern between
1350 and 1906 m.a.s.l and with
a restricted geographic range
(<100 km2). This is in accordance
with the biogeography of other
Magnolia species located in the
eastern Andes of Colombia,
where habitat fragmentation is
also a common feature (Calde-
rón et al., 2007).
The three localities in which
M. resupinatifolia was recorded,
differ in land-use history and
dynamics. In Morelia, the pres-
ence of forest is restricted to
small patches and riversides
while cacao and coffee planta-
tions dominate the landscape.
16
In San José-Varsovia, pastures
for livestock are the dominant
landscape feature and more
area is covered by larger forest
fragments as compared to Mo-
relia. Meanwhile in Primavera,
although land use-intensity
seems lower nowadays (com-
pared to the other two locali-
ties), the predominance of for-
ests fragments in different
successional stages, indicates a
marked past land-use. Finally,
in spite of legal restrictions in
the buffer zone of the National
Natural Park, selective logging
and forest clearing for agricul-
ture and cattle farming cannot
be excluded in either of the
three localities.
These transformations of the
landscape can impact the popu-
lation size and structure of M.
resupinatifolia. In the context of
this study, tree size distribution
was used as a proxy to under-
stand the structure and dynam-
ics of the population (White et
al. 2007). In Primavera, 81.8% of
the individuals were reported
inside the forest and most in-
dividuals had a small DBH
(Figure 5), a fact that could be
explained by the massive for-
est clearing done in the past.
The removal of adult trees is
reflected in the low number of
mature individuals, while the
presence of young individuals
is a result of the establishment
of the seeds produced by the re-
moved trees and the trees never
logged. On the other hand, in
Morelia and San José-Varsovia,
most of the trees are of inter-
mediate DBH. This may result
from the fact that the 55.5% of
the trees located in Morelia and
44.7% in San José-Varsovia were
reported within cattle pastures,
cacao or coffee plantations,
which would indicate that they
are remnants because farmers
constantly remove the small
trees limiting recruitment. Be-
sides this, direct exposure to
sunlight in pastures probably
affects the development of M.
resupinatifolia, which is a late
successional species adapted
to grow under shade (personal
correspondence with Joaquín
Blanco, local expert). The lat-
ter suggests that the remnant
trees in pastures and agrofor-
ests would hardly contribute
to recruitment and that there
would be necessary the design
of strategies to enhance the re-
cruitment of trees in more natu-
ral habitats.
Nevertheless, even if the num-
ber of individuals in the small-
est DBH size class is low in
Varsovia and Morelia, and high

in Primavera, this result is a
static picture of this population,
where little is known about the
growth rate or recruitment dy-
namics. A low proportion of
small individuals doesn’t nec-
essarily mean that the popula-
tion is declining in number (Bin
et al, 2012), because a popula-
tion with many small stems
doesn’t necessarily produce
more reproductive adults than
a population with few small
stems (Feeley et al., 2007).
The individuals of the San
José-Varsovia locality (1350m-
1840m alt) were the first ones
found flowering in January
while flowering started in Mo-
relia (1336m- 1600m) in Febru-
ary. The observed phenological
asynchrony within and among
localities, could be partly ex-
plained by differences in habitat
conditions. Land use offers dif-
ferent abiotic conditions in soil
moisture (Smithberg & Weiser,
1968), temperature (Opler et al.,
1976) and light conditions (Os-
unkoya, 1999), which have been
found to be correlated to tree
phenology, as well as different
biotic factors like the availabil-
ity of pollinators (Schemske et
al., 1978).
Conservation status
According to the analysis of
AOO and EOO, the category
with the highest risk of extinc-
tion was selected to support
the current conservation status
of Magnolia resupinatifolia. The
species was classified as a criti-
cally threatened according to
the following classification: CR
(B1aB2b (ii, iii, v)) + EN D. This
is a critically endangered spe-
cies, as well as other endemic
Magnolia species of the east-
ern cordillera of the Colombian
Andes, like M. cespedesii, M.
virolinensis and M. cararensis
(Calderón et al. 2007). If no ac-
tion is taken, M. resupinatifolia
could decrease in the number
of individuals in the near fu-
ture, since 42% of trees were
found in non-optimal habitats
(pastures and croplands). For
other Magnolia species, like M.
macrophylla and M. dealbata, it
has been found that microhabi-
tat conditions influence devel-
opment (Doyle, 1989; Gutierrez
& Vovides, 1997), indicating
that flower and fruit production
in forests is higher compared to
pasturelands. According to the
local experts, seed germination
rates of M. resupinatifolia are low
and seed abortion per fruit is
high, even in non-transformed
habitats. This coincides with the
findings of Cires et al. (2013),
which state that magnolia taxa
generally produce poor fruiting
and exhibit low natural regener-
ation. To conclude, the inherent
biological characteristics of the
species and its current habitat
threats, could lead to a decrease
in the AOO of the species in the
near future.
Many Magnolia species located
in the Eastern Andes (as well
as M. resupinatifolia) have been
reported outside protected ar-
eas, which makes them the
most threatened Magnolia spe-
cies in the country (Calderon
et al., 2007). Nevertheless, only
16% of the country’s territory
is part of the national system of
protected areas (Runap, 2018)
and many important species are
currently left out of these juris-
dictions. Even so, conservation
strategies outside protected ar-
eas could bear an opportunity
to involve local communities
into conservation and protect
not only biological diversity but
also the cultural heritage associ-
ated with it.
Magnolia Issue 105
Community based
conservation strategies
During the workshops in which
the results of this study were
shared with the community,
several alternatives to promote
the conservation of M. resupi-
natifolia were proposed by local
people: 1) Seed collection and
propagation in nurseries in or-
der to identify the morphology
of the seedlings and saplings for
future surveys, 2) Obtain sap-
lings to plant them in suitable
areas, using local knowledge
combined with the information
collected during this study, and
3) The elaboration of “Molinil-
los” for sale, as a way to fund
a community-based propaga-
tion plan and to increase house-
hold income. Today, a couple
of months later, the Molinillo is
sold and spread by the local and
academic community, a germi-
nation protocol has been elabo-
rated (thanks to Alicia Rojas,
Jardin Botanico Floridablanca,
Santander, Colombia), and the
species has been propagated
by locals, biologists, and other
researchers. But most impor-
tantly, enthusiasm has been
generated, most likely due to
the beautiful kitchen tool and
its use in the making of hot
chocolate. Finally, given the re-
gional identity of San Vicente
de Chucuri as one of the most
important regions of cacao
production in the country, the
Molinillo is a promising model
fostering the conservation of
biological diversity and local
identity.
Conclusions
The evidence gathered in this
study shows that M. resupi-
natifolia faces the same threats
as other magnolia species
worldwide, which calls for lo-
cal conservation strategies to
17
Magnolia Issue 105
guarantee the preservation of
this endemic species. Propa-
gation plans should be imple-
mented, not only for planting
seedlings in suitable areas, but
also to further study this spe-
cies (e.g. growth, life cycle, life
history, etc.) in order to better
guide its conservation. From
this study has emerged a great
opportunity in the market of
non-timber forest products
with the elaboration of molinil-
los, handicrafts that do not only
benefit the local economy but
support the local identity of the
people due to the importance of
cacao production in the region.
Finally, it would be important
to conduct in deeper surveys in
the micro basin Chucurí, in or-
der to broaden the knowledge
about the species distribution
Acknowledgment
This research benefitted from
the local community of the mi-
cro basin Las Cruces and Los
medios who participated ac-
tively as part of the project and
shared with us all their knowl-
edge, specially our local guides:
Miguel Díaz, Leopoldo Ardila,
Olinto Becerra and Joaquín
Blanco. The Magnolia Society
International provided financial
support to conduct and publish
this study. The Unión Temporal
(formed by Fundación Natura,
Fundación Guayacanal and
Corporación para el Desarrollo
y Paz del Magdalena Medio)
under the project “Ecologi-
cal restoration of Andean and
subandean forest as part of the
forest compensation plan as-
sociated with the construction
of the Sogamoso Hydroelec-
tric Power Plant, Serranía de
los Yariguies National Natural
Park”, provided information of
the localization of M. resupinati-
folia trees, which was useful for
18
planning the field work for this
survey. Finally, thanks to Alicia
Rojas for compiling and shar-
ing a propagation plan for the
species which has been useful
for local people and researchers
interested in the conservation of
this emblematic tree.
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Rohan Chakravarty, cartoonist and creator of Green Humour was inspired to draw
this comic after learning about the story of the molinillo and its cultural importance for
local people in San Vicente de Chucurí (Santander, Colombia). You can view more of
his work on www.greenhumour.com.

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