Magnificat
the song of the Virgin Mary, which, in the Vulgate, begins with "Magnificat." See BREVIARY.
MAGNOLIA [named after Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), Professor of Medicine at Montpellier, and author of several botanical works], the typical genus of the tribe Magnolicæ and the order Magnoliaceæ. Sepals three, deciduous; petals, six to nine; stamens and pistils many; carpels compacted in spikes or cones; seeds baccate, somewhat cordate, pendulous, with a long white umbilical thread. The species are trees or shrubs, with alternate leaves and large, terminal, odoriferous flowers. They are found in North America and Asia. M. grandiflora, the great-flowered magnolia, or laurel bay, is a fine evergreen tree, 70 feet high in America, and from 20 to 30 in foreign gardens. The species have large, beautiful, fragrant flowers.