Michelia

Michelia is a historical genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Magnoliaceae.

A primitive aspect of the Magnolia family is that their large, cup-shaped flowers lack distinct petals or sepals.

The large non-specialized flower parts, resembling petals, are called tepals.

The leaves, flowers, and form of Michelia resemble Magnolia, but the blossoms of Michelia generally form clusters among the leaves, rather than singly at the branch ends as Magnolia does.

A few species have been introduced to gardens or as street trees outside of the Indomalaya region, including Michelia figo, M. doltsopa, and M. champaca.