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XIII. The Termtroemiaceons Plants of Song Kong, _5y Captain Champion., 95th Beg. 



Communicated by the President. 



Read November 5, 1850. 



CONSIDERING the great success of the Camellia Japonica as an ornamental green- 

 house plant, it appears remarkable that but little attention should have been paid to the 

 introduction into England of other plants of that order from India and China. Both the 

 Camellias and Gordonias are trees or shrubs of very great beauty, and of rather hardy 

 growth ; in tropical climates restricted to elevations, where the climate bears affinities to 

 more northern temperatures; and in China they flower alongside of the Azaleas so 

 successfully introduced into England. Polypetalous, they hold out to the horticulturist 

 the probabilities of increased beauty through judicious and successful cultivation. 



The species of Camellia at present best known in England has 'been principally intro- 

 duced from Chinese gardens. Without detracting from the good taste of that nation, in 

 having selected elegant species, and brought their flowers to a degree of improvement 

 which alone might have been expected from English industry, it is to be presumed that 

 many species (some of which have been described by Loureiro) remain, in the wilds of 

 Southern China, uncultivated. 



The Chinese are in some respects bizarres in their admiration of plants; they have 

 their favourites, and they are permanent favourites ; not the fashion of the day, but of 

 centuries; and these alone they cultivate, although we are acquainted, through Mr. 

 Reeves and through Mr. Eortune, with other plants of great beauty, which are less 

 admired by that nation. Should at any period English taste extend itself to others of 

 the Camellia tribe, we must principally look for them from the Celestial Empire. The 

 plants about to be described are indigenous to one small island. 



Genus Camellia, L. 



1. Camellia spectabilis; arborea, foliis lanceolatis acuminatis glabris crenatis sub- 

 tus reticulatis, floribus solitariis magnis albis axillaribus et subterminalibus, sepalis 

 coriaceis fructibusque pomi magnitudinis sericeis. 



Hab. in insula Hong Kong, Sinarum, in sylvis. 



A small tree; flowering also as a shrub. Branchlets light ferruginous. Leaves 

 alternate, short-petioled, elongate-lanceolate, with a long acumination, crenated and 

 pellucid on the margin, coriaceous, smooth and shining; pale beneath and reticulately 

 veined. In dried specimens the leaves turn yellow like those of a Symplocos ; they are 

 under 5 inches long by 14 lines broad. Elowers about 2\ inches across ; sepals 9-11, 

 imbricated, obtuse, yellowish green and very sericeous, coriaceous. Petals about 7, 

 white, roundish-obovate, emarginate. Stamens very numerous, gamboge-yellow. Style 



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