It is a tree that is threatened by habitat loss, endemic to the Western Ghats of India (including Agastya Mala, the Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Anaimalai and Palni Hills, the Nilgiri mountains, and Baba Budangiri),[2] and also Sri Lanka.

[1] A large tree; bark is brown with grey highlights and presents a cracked appearance.

[4] In 2000 it was reclassified under the genus Magnolia by Richard B. Figlar (In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Family Magnoliaceae, 23.

The IUCN (2015) has determined that no improvements have been implemented to halt this pace of deforestation, and therefore have assessed its status as "vulnerable".

[1] IUCN has not determined whether the stands of trees are becoming fragmented from within, or are more or less shrinking in area from the perimeter of their ranges.