Magnolia tripetala (Umbrella tree)

Magnolia tripetala (L.) L.

Magnolia umbrella Desr.

Magnolia umbrella Desr. var. tripetala (L.) P. Parm.

Magnolia virginiana L. var. tripetala L.

Umbrella tree

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Magnoliales	Includes the custard apple family, magnolia family, nutmeg family, and others
Family	Magnoliaceae	Magnolia family
Genus	Magnolia	Named for French botanist Pierre Magnol
Species	tripetala

About plant names...

Umbrella trees are North American natives, common on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains.

Identification: Trees are 15-40' (4.6-12 m) tall. Leaves are very large—12-24" (30-60 cm)—an uniquely shaped, in six-leaved whorls at branch tips that look like ribs of an umbrella. Showy, creamy white flowers, 3-5" (7.6-12 cm) around, appear above the leaf whorls. They have an unpleasant odor. Fruits look a little like cones in shape, and are 4-6" (10-15 cm) long.

Online References:

Magnolia tripetala on www.carolinanature.com

Magnolia tripetala on floridata.com

Magnolia tripetala at the University of Connecticut Plant Database

Magnolia tripetala at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Magnolia tripetala on plants.ces.ncsu.edu

Magnolia tripetala on www.treetopics.com

Magnolia tripetala on eFloras