What family and genus does Michelia chapensis Dandy belong to?
A comprehensive introduction to the family and genus of Michelia chapensis Dandy and related content about the basic characteristics of this green plant is provided below for your detailed understanding.
Michelia chapensis (Dandy), also known as Michelia compressa, Southern White Magnolia, or Large-Leaf Michelia, is an evergreen tree belonging to theMagnoliaceae family and the Michelia genus. It has a straight trunk, beautiful crown shape, elegant fragrance, and lush foliage throughout the year. It is widely used as a street tree, shade tree, and landscape tree, especially suitable as a configuration species for landscape forests, and highly favored by the landscaping department. Michelia chapensis also has characteristics such as a straight trunk, straight wood grain, low density, small drying shrinkage, easy drying, no warping, no cracking, and rapid growth, making it meet the cultivation goals of timber forests and an ideal alternative to coniferous species like马尾松 and cedar. However, due to long-term predatory use of Michelia chapensis natural forests, the natural forest resources of Michelia chapensis in southern forest areas have been severely damaged, and the resources are now耗尽. Therefore, speeding up afforestation of Michelia chapensis and promoting the development of its industrial raw material forests is of great practical significance for adjusting the species structure of artificial forests in southern China. The following is a summary of the afforestation techniques for Michelia chapensis by the author.
1. Biological and Ecological Characteristics
Michelia chapensis is an evergreen tree, 15-30 meters high, with a diameter of up to 1 meter; the bark is grayish-white to grayish-brown and smooth. Except for the young buds and nodes that are covered with grayish-brown pubescence, the leaves are thin and leathery, obovate or oblong-obovate, acuminate or subacuminate at the apex, with petioles 1.5-2.5 cm long and no stipule scars. The perianth segments are 6.2 in a whorl; the gynoecium has a 7 mm long peduncle. The aggregate fruit is about 10 cm long, oblong or ovate, flat and slightly oblique, with sparse and inconspicuous lenticels. The seeds are ovate or oblong-ovate. The flowering period is 3 months, and the fruiting period is 7-8 months. Michelia chapensis is widely distributed in China, horizontally from the mountains of southeastern Guizhou to the hilly areas of Yifeng, Jiangxi, in the evergreen broad-leaved forests, north to the Pingtingpu area of Hunan to the Huiji area of Guangdong, including Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou. This corresponds to the range of 25°55' to 28°42' N and 107°14' to 114°47' E, stretching 4.37° from north to south and 7.33° from east to west. Its natural distribution is densest in the Nanling region, which is the center of its distribution. Due to the impact of human deforestation, Michelia chapensis is now mostly scattered and discontinuous, with small communities still found in Zixing, Liling, Yifeng, and Shaowu, Fujian, while in other areas, it is mostly scattered or in small clusters.
The distribution of Michelia chapensis in Fujian is mainly in the northern part of the province, with a large number of natural forests in Shaowu. It naturally grows in "V"-shaped valleys and areas with high humidity and good water and fertilizer conditions near small streams. The soil distribution is mostly mountainous yellow-red soil developed from granite and sandstone, with thin soil layers but high organic matter content. It is mostly scattered in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of valleys at altitudes of 350-450 meters in northern Fujian. Its main associated species include Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Cyclobalanopsis myrsinifolia, Lithocarpus, and others. Fund Project: The Science and Technology Promotion Project of the Fujian Forestry Department "Promotion of native broad-leaved tree species such as Betula luminifera and Liriodendron chinense (Minlin 2004 Science 10th).
2. Seed Collection Techniques
There are significant differences in fruit and seed yields among individual mother trees of Michelia chapensis of different ages. Studies have shown that the seed yield of Michelia chapensis mother trees is highest at 29 years old, followed by 41 years old, and lowest at 18 years old. The seed quality of 29-year-old mother trees is the best, with a 1000-seed weight, indoor germination rate, and field germination rate of 64.26 kg, 86.79%, and 83.49%, respectively, all higher than those of 18-year-old and 41-year-old Michelia chapensis mother trees. Under normal conditions, an average individual mother tree can produce 16-19 kg of paniculate fruits, with about 8 kg of fruits producing 1 kg of seeds with shells, and the seed yield per individual mother tree is 2-2.5 kg. Michelia chapensis seeds have very small embryos and high water content, with a dormancy period, and they can easily lose viability during the drying process. If not processed in time, not only will germination be delayed, but the germination rate will also be low. Since the seeds have a fragrant smell and oil, rodent damage must be prevented during storage.
What family and genus does Michelia chapensis Dandy belong to?
Michelia chapensis seed collection should be done from mother trees that are about 30 years old, healthy, and free of diseases and pests. The fruits mature in the same year, with the maturity period in early October, and should be collected around October each year. If the seeds are collected before maturity, the seed maturity is poor and the germination rate is very low. Due to the good market conditions for Michelia chapensis in recent years, many forest farmers are worried that their seeds will be collected by others, so they start collecting before the seeds are mature, resulting in seeds with greenish-yellow pericarps that hardly germinate. Therefore, Michelia chapensis seeds should be collected when the aggregate fruit shells change from green to light yellow to deep brown, which is when the seeds are about to mature, starting in early October and observing the seed morphological changes every 3-5 days to grasp the maturity period and collect the seeds in time. The maturity period of Michelia chapensis seeds varies with different site conditions (altitude, aspect, etc.). In the sunny low mountain areas of Shaowu, Fujian, at an altitude of 500 meters, the seed maturity period is around October 10th, while in the middle mountain areas above 500 meters, the seed maturity period is delayed by 5-10 days, and the seeds in sunny slopes mature earlier, while those in shady valleys or humid environments mature later.
3. Seedling Raising Techniques
Michelia chapensis can be propagated by播种育苗 (broadcast sowing) and 无性抨插育苗 (vegetative propagation). In areas where seed sources are guaranteed, broadcast sowing can be used. The key technique for raising Michelia chapensis seedlings is to collect the seeds immediately after they mature. To reduce seed waste and grow large seedlings, dense sowing in the winter of December is recommended, followed by transplanting with soil in March, 15-30 days after the seedlings emerge. The transplanting spacing is 10 cm x 22 cm, with a density of 45 seedlings per square meter, producing 225,000 seedlings per hectare. These key measures not only reduce seed waste but also grow large seedlings, basically solving the technical problems of seedling raising for Michelia chapensis afforestation, providing sufficient seedlings for large-scale Michelia chapensis afforestation in southern forest areas. In areas with limited seed sources, vegetative propagation can be used. The key technique for raising Michelia chapensis seedlings through vegetative propagation is to select the tip and middle parts of the current year's seedlings and perform vegetative propagation in winter, followed by transplanting after the roots form in spring. In mid-November, cut 10 cm long branches, remove 2/3 of the leaves, dip in plant rooting hormone slurry, and plant in sandy loam seedbeds in winter with a spacing of 4 cm x 5 cm, with 25 seedlings per row. In mid-March, all the rooted cuttings are transplanted to the field, with a spacing of 10 cm x 22 cm and a planting depth of half the height of the seedling, producing 225,000 seedlings per hectare.
4. Afforestation Techniques
Michelia chapensis is strict with the site requirements, growing better in the shady slopes with deep, moist, and fertile soil. Therefore, for artificial afforestation of Michelia chapensis, it is necessary to choose better sites. Michelia chapensis seedlings have large specifications and developed root systems, and artificial afforestation can use 60 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm pit preparation. Depending on different management objectives, Michelia chapensis can be planted using seedling planting and suckering regeneration. Seedling planting should be carefully prepared, with a planting density of 2000-3000 trees per hectare. Considering the shade tolerance of Michelia chapensis seedlings, the planting density can be appropriately increased. Before planting, the seedling branches and leaves should be pruned to reduce water loss. Planting should be done on cloudy or light rainy days, with roots dipped in mud, deeply planted, compacted, straightened, and planted 4 cm above the root collar. The general survival rate of Michelia chapensis afforestation is 80%-90%. On logging and burning sites, the strong suckering ability of Michelia chapensis can be used to adopt enclosed mountainous reforestation and natural suckering regeneration to allow it to regenerate into a forest or promote natural regeneration. The nurturing of Michelia chapensis young forests is crucial to their growth. Before the young forest closes, nurturing should be strengthened, with soil loosening and weeding twice a year for the first 3 years after planting, and removing excess suckers. In the 4th and 5th years, grass should be cut once a year. If no nurturing is done in the 4th and 5th years, it will severely affect the growth of young trees, so nurturing for Michelia chapensis young forests must be done for 5 years. After the forest has closed, appropriate pruning and thinning should be carried out based on the growth conditions of the trees to promote trunk growth.
The above sharing about the family and genus of Michelia chapensis and its basic characteristics is provided for everyone's learning and understanding!