''Magnolia champaca'', known in English as champak (), is a large evergreen tree in the family

Magnoliaceae The Magnoliaceae () are a flowering plant family, the magnolia family, in the order Magnoliales. It consists of two genera: '' Magnolia'' and ''Liriodendron'' (tulip trees). Unlike most angiosperms, whose flower parts are in whorls (rings), ...

. It was previously classified as ''Michelia champaca''. It is known for its fragrant flowers, and its timber used in woodworking.

Etymology

The species epithet, ''champaca'', comes from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word "चम्पक" ().

Vernacular names

Other vernacular names in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

include joy perfume tree, Pacific Horticulture Society: "Striving for Diversity: Fragrant Champaca"
. accessed 7.12.2015 yellow jade orchid tree and fragrant Himalayan champaca.

Distribution and habitat

The tree is native to the

Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Ind ...

, consisting of South Asia, Southeast Asia−Indochina, and southern China. It is found in

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in la ...

ecoregions, at elevations of . It is native to the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. In China it is native to southern

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

and southern/southwestern

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

Provinces. efloras.org: Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal − ''Michelia (Magnolia) champaca''
/ref> In 2021, an isolated, presumably native population of ''M. champaca'' was identified in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

, making ''M. champaca'' the only species in the

known to inhabit the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

Description

In its native range ''Magnolia champaca'' grows to or taller. Its trunk can be up to in diameter. The tree has a narrow umbelliform

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

. It has strongly fragrant flowers in varying shades of cream to yellow-orange which bloom during June to September. The obovoid-ellipsoid

carpel Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more ...

s produce 2−4 seeds during September to October. File:White champak flower.jpg, White champak flower File:Inflorescence of Champak flower.jpg, Base of champak flower File:Champak flower parts.jpg, Single champak petal

Varieties—hybrids

''Magnolia champaca''

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

and

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

s include: *''Magnolia (Michelia) champaca'' var. ''champaca'' — ''Huang lan (yuan bian zhong)'', (黄兰(原变种)) in

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

. To tall, documented in China. *''Magnolia (Michelia) champaca'' var. ''pubinervia'' — ''Mao ye mai huang lan'' (毛叶脉黄兰) in Chinese. To tall or taller, documented in China. * ''Magnolia'' × ''alba'' — white-flowered hybrid of ''Magnolia champaca'' and ''

Magnolia montana ''Magnolia montana'' is a species of ''Magnolia'' native to the western Malesia region (Malaysia and Indonesia) of the Indomalayan realm. The Latin specific epithet ''montana'' refers to mountains or coming from mountains.Archibald William Smit ...

''. In Thailand, there are other purported hybrids cultivated with other species, including with ''

Magnolia liliifera ''Magnolia liliifera'', commonly known as egg magnolia, is a flowering tree native to the Indomalayan realm.GRIN lists the species is native to the following regions: China (Southern), Indian Subcontinent, North Indian Ocean, Indochina. It bears ...

'' and ''

Magnolia coco ''Magnolia coco'', the coconut magnolia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae, native to southern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam. A small tree from in the garden, it is hardy to zone 9, and can also be kept as a house ...

''.

Cultural aspects

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

, champaca is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the fourteenth

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

called "Aththadassi – අත්ථදස්සි". According to Tibetan beliefs, the Buddha of the next era will find enlightenment under the white flower canopy of the champaca tree. It also has importance in

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

culture.

Uses

Fragrance

The flowers are used in South Asia, especially India, for several purposes. They are primarily used in worship ceremonies, whether at home or out in temples, they are also more generally worn in hair by girls and women as a means of beauty ornament as well as a natural perfume. Flowers are floated in bowls of water to scent the room, as a fragrant and colourful decoration for bridal beds, and for garlands. The tree was traditionally used to make fragrant hair and massage oils.

Jean Patou Jean Patou (; 27 September 1887 – 8 March 1936) was a French fashion designer, and founder of the Jean Patou brand. Early life Patou was born in Paris, France in 1880. Patou's family's business was tanning and furs. Patou worked with his u ...

’s famous perfume, '

Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...

', the second best selling perfume in the world after

Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume launched by French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1921. The scent formula for the fragrance was compounded by French-Russian chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. The design of its bottle has been an imp ...

, is derived in part from the essential oils of champaca flowers. The vernacular name "Joy perfume tree" comes from this. A scent similar to the scent of this plant is said to be emitted by a

civet A civet () is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term ''civet'' applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species's div ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, ''

Paradoxurus montanus The golden palm civet (''Paradoxurus zeylonensis'') is a viverrid endemic to Sri Lanka. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2016.The extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining. The golden pal ...

''. Because all the other civets are known to emit very unpleasant odours, this species is renowned for emitting a pleasant odour similar to this plant's scent.

Timber

In its native India and Southeast Asia, champaca is logged for its valuable

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

. It has a finely textured, dark brown and olive-colored wood, which is used in furniture making, construction, and cabinetry. The species is protected from logging in some states of India, especially in the Southwestern region, where certain groves are considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists.

Cultivation

''Magnolia champaca'' is cultivated by specialty

plant nurseries A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry, or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general ...

as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, for its form as an ornamental tree, as a dense screening

hedge A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced (3 feet or closer) shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate ...

, and for its fragrant flowers. It is planted in the ground in tropical and in

subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 3 ...

gardens, such as in coastal Southern and Central California. It is planted in containers in cooler temperate climates. It requires full sun and regular watering.

Ecology

The fragrant flowers attract butterflies and

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

s. Its

aril An aril (), also called arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode, or false aril, is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the seed to the ova ...

-covered seeds are highly attractive to birds.FRISCH, J.D. & FRISCH, C.D. - ''Aves Brasileiras e Plantas que as atraem'', São Paulo, Dalgas Ecotec, 3rd. edition, 2005, , page 374

References

External links

Chittagong University, Bangladesh: ''Michelia champaca'' - detailed information
{{Taxonbar, from=Q167027 champaca Trees of China Flora of tropical Asia Plants described in 1753 Garden plants of Asia Ornamental trees Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre