What is "liriodendron tulipifera"

Liriodendron \Lir`i*o*den"dron\ (l[i^]r`[i^]*[-o]*d[e^]n"dr[o^]n), n.; pl. Liriodendra (-dr[.a]). [NL., fr. Gr. lei`rion lily + de`ndron tree.] (Bot.) A genus of large and very beautiful trees of North America, having smooth, shining leaves, and handsome, tuliplike flowers; tulip tree; whitewood; -- called also canoewood. Liriodendron tulipifera is the only extant species, but there were several others in the Cretaceous epoch.

Liriodendron tulipifera—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddle-tree, and yellow poplar—is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two- species genus Liriodendron, and the tallest eastern hardwood. It is native to eastern North America from Southern Ontario and Illinois eastward to southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and south to central Florida and Louisiana. It can grow to more than in virgin cove forests of the Appalachian Mountains, often with no limbs until it reaches in height, making it a very valuable timber tree. It is fast-growing, without the common problems of weak wood strength and short lifespan often seen in fast-growing species. April marks the start of the flowering period in the southern USA (except as noted below); trees at the northern limit of cultivation begin to flower in June. The flowers are pale green or yellow (rarely white), with an orange band on the tepals; they yield large quantities of nectar. The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.