Table 5 in Twenty-six additional new combinations in the Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) of China and Vietnam

Table 5. Differentiating features of the species Michelia platypetala and M. cavaleriei.
The distinguishing features of Michelia platypetala are mainly cited from Law et al. (1996: 177), Liu et al. (2004: 306) and Yang et al. (2016: 306)†, because the description of M. platypetala Hand.-Mazz. (1921) includes the composite description of 2 species, including for the fruit of the subsequently named M. fallax. The features of M. cavaleriei are from Finet and Gagnepain (1906), supplemented by Dandy (1928c: 130)‡, Law et al. (1996: 184)§, Liu et al. (2004: 229)¶ and Yang et al. (2016: 239)#.Plant featureMichelia platypetala Hand-Mazz.Michelia cavaleriei Finet & Gagnep.life formmedium-sized tree to 20 msmall-sized tree 7-10 metresindumentum of branchletsrufous sericeoussilver-grey or rufous appressed pilose¶indumentum of budsrufous sericeoussilver-grey or rufous appressed pilose¶leaf shapeoblong or elliptic-oblongnarrowly oblong or narrowly oblanceolate-oblong¶leaf dimensions11-18(-20) × 4-6(-7) cm (12-17 × 4.5-6.5 cm†)10-20 × 3.5-6.5 cm¶ (8-21 × 2.5-5 cm#)leaf apexacuminate or abruptly narrowed short-acuminateacuminate or short-acute¶leaf basebroadly cuneate or obtusecuneate or broadly cuneate¶leaf indumentum abaxiallygreyish-white appressed puberulent or rufous appressed hairssilver-grey or rufous pilose, appressed when young¶lateral leaf veins8-14 pairs11-15 pairs§petiole length2-3 cm†2 cm (0.7-1.5 cm#)pedicel (peduncle) length0.5-2 cm1.5-2.5 cm§bract scar number22-3tepal number and shape9 (9-11†), obovate-elliptic or ellipticca. 12 (10-12#): obovate-elliptic¶tepal length (outer 3)5-7 cm2.5 cm (2.5-4 cm¶)stamen / anther lengthca. 1 cm / ca. 6 mm1.2-1.4 cm / ca. 8 mm§gynoecium shape, length and indumentumcylindric, 6-8 mm, grey or golden puberulentnarrowly ovoid, ca.10 mm, glabrous except for few bristly hairs towards apex of the carpels‡gynophore lengthca. 5 mmca. 4 mm§number of ovulesca. 8 in each immature carpel2 in each immature carpelfruit aggregate length5-15 cm5-10 cm¶mature carpels shape and sizeellipsoid, rarely globose or ovoid, 1.5-2(-2.5) × 1-1.5 cmobovoid or ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long§flowering periodMarch-AprilMarch§