grandiflora – large flowers (Latin)

Native range: SE United States

Leaves:

• alternate
• simple
• entire
• evergreen
• large stipules
• obovate-oblong or elliptic
• large (5-8” long)
• upper – glossy
• lower – rust-colored pubescence
• leathery

Flowers:

• solitary & terminal
• radial
• perfect
• tepals (3 sepals, 6 petals)
• many stamens & carpels, spirally arranged
• flowers cup-shaped
• 6–8” across
• white
• extremely fragrant

Fruit:

• aggregate of follicles
• rose-red coated seeds

Other characteristics:

• tree to 90 ft.
• evergreen
• blooms late June, July

Ecology & Adaptations:

• native to the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and Texas
• found in moist wooded areas of the coastal plain
• pollinated by beetles and bees (though species evolved before bees)
• seed dispersal by birds
• moderately drought tolerant:
  • spreading root system extends from the trunk a distance equal to 4X the canopy width
  • leathery leaves retain water
  • silica deposition in tissues may reduce transpiration
• tolerates low nutrient conditions – evergreen leaves conserve nutrients
• salt tolerant – leathery characteristic helps conserve water and limit intake of salt
• microbial resistance & allelopathy:
  • sesquiterpene lactones in leaves and bark inhibit fungal growth and may inhibit growth of other plants under canopy
  • other phenolic compounds protect against bacteria
  • silica deposition in outer tissue layers strengthens leaves and increases resistance to pathogens
• wildlife – seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals