- magnolia
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/mag nohl"yeuh, -noh"lee euh/, n.1. any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia, having large, usually fragrant flowers and an aromatic bark, much cultivated for ornament. Cf. magnolia family.2. the blossom of any such shrub or tree, as of the evergreen magnolia tree: the state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi.[ < NL (Linnaeus), after Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), French botanist; see -IA]
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Any of about 80 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Magnolia, native to North and Central America, the Himalayas, and East Asia.They are valued for their fragrant flowers and handsome leaves. Magnolia is one of 12 genera in the family Magnoliaceae, which contains 210 species. Magnolias are among the most primitive of flowering plants; their primitive features include long floral axes, spiral arrangement of flower parts, and simple water-conducting cells.* * *
city, seat (1853) of Columbia county, southwestern Arkansas, U.S. It is on the West Gulf Coastal Plain between Texarkana and El Dorado, about 80 miles (129 km) northeast of Shreveport, Louisiana. Founded in 1853, it was named for the southern magnolia, or laurel, tree (Magnolia grandiflora), native to Arkansas. It evolved as a cotton town and a farm marketing and processing centre. In 1938 its economic base changed with the discovery of the Buckner oil field nearby. The petroleum and natural gas industry developed, followed by light manufacturing, which today includes steel and aluminum products, specialty chemicals, lumber, and rubber-coated fabrics. Magnolia is the home of Southern Arkansas University (founded as an agricultural school in 1909). To the north is Logoly State Park, and Lafayette Wildlife Management Area is about 25 miles (40 km) southwest. Inc. town, 1855; city, 1949. Pop. (1990) 11,151; (2000) 10,858.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
