Magnolia fordiana

Magnolia fordiana is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae, native to southern China, Hainan, and Vietnam. An evergreen tree reaching 25 m tall, it is found in hilly forests, often beside rivers, at elevations from 300 to 1200 m. Specialists in Magnolia believe that most Magnolia fordiana specimens offered for sale are actually the closely related Magnolia yuyuanensis, a more attractive tree and one that is better adapted to cultivation. It is widely used as a street tree in southern Chinese cities.

Subtaxa
The following varieties are accepted:
 * Magnolia fordiana var. calcarea (X.H.Song) V.S.Kumar – Yunnan, Guizhou
 * Magnolia fordiana var. fordiana – southern China, Vietnam
 * Magnolia fordiana var. forrestii (W.W.Sm. ex Dandy) V.S.Kumar – Guangxi, Yunnan
 * Magnolia fordiana var. hainanensis (Dandy) Noot. – Hainan