lily magnolia; Magnolia liliiflora
A species of magnolia with purple flowers; often called 'lily magnolia' or 'Mulan magnolia' in English. The Japanese name is usually written in katakana.
See also: 木蓮
Lily magnolias are blooming in the park.
The lily magnolia produces purple flowers in spring.
モクレン (Magnolia kobus) is a different species with white flowers, while シモクレン has purple flowers.
The plant name is usually written in katakana.
Kanji spelling using 木蓮; rarely used in practice, as the word is usually written in kana.
Alternate kanji spelling using 木蘭; even less common than 紫木蓮.
The name シモクレン literally means 'purple magnolia' (紫 + 木蓮). The reading しもくれん is a compound of し (purple) and もくれん (magnolia).