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XXV. Synopsis of the Genera Camellia and Thea. By BERTHOLD SEEMANN, Ph.D., F.L.S. 
Read May 5th, 1859. 
GREAT diversity of opinion exists as to whether the genera Camellia and Thea ought 
to be merged into one, or regarded as distinct. The advocates of the union argue that 
hitherto no difference of generic importance has been pointed out, which, on being put to 
the test, has not broken down, and that, notwithstanding great authorities have pro- 
nounced in favour of keeping them separate, the generic union of Camellia and Thea is 
dictated by the stern laws of systematic botany, whilst their opponents have as yet not 
been able to disprove, with any degree of satisfaction, those sweeping assertions. In order 
to arrive at an independent opinion, it will be necessary to examine the various generic 
characters that have from time to time been proposed by authorities on the subject, and 
to add such critical remarks as a careful study of these plants enables me to make. 
Linnæus, who was acquainted with only two species of Camellia and one of Thea, thus 
defines them, in his sixth edition of the * Genera Plantarum ° of 1764 :— 
CAMELLIA, Linn. Tura, Kempf. 
Monadelphia Polyandria. : Polyandria Monogynia. 
Cal. Perianthium polyphyllum, subrotundatum, Cal. Perianthium 6-partitum, minimum, planum, 
imbricatum ; squamis subrotundis, obtusissimis, foliolis rotundatis, obtusis, persistentibus. Cor. 
internis sensim majoribus, concavis, deciduis. Petala 6, subrotunda, concava, æqualia, (— A 
Cor. Petala 5, obovata, basi coalita. Stam. Fi- Stam. Filamenta numerosa (ducenta circiter), 
lamenta numerosa, erecta, coalita in coronam filiformia, corolla breviora. Anthere simplices. 
stylo ampliorem, superne libera, corolla bre- Pist. Germen globoso-trigonum. Stylus subu- 
viora. Antheræ simplices. Pist. Germen sub- | latus, longitudine staminum. Stigma triplex. 
rotundum. Stylus subulatus, longitudine sta- Per. Capsula ex tribus globis coalita, Sen 
minum. Stigma acutum, reflexum. Per. Cap- laris, apice trifariam dehiscens. Sem, solitaria, 
sula turbinata, lignosa, sulcis aliquot exarata. globosa, introrsum angulata. 
Sem. Nuclei tot quot striæ capsulæ, subrotundi, = ; 
seminibus minoribus sæpe repletis. 
It is unnecessary to dwell much upon the imperfections of these characters.  Linnæus, 
by placing Camellia in Monadelphia Polyandria, and Thea in Polyandria Monogynia, 
undoubtedly laboured under the belief that in Thea all the stamens were free. The 
greater number of them are, however, as firmly united at the base as those of the typical 
. Camellia Japonica are, and the genus ought therefore to have been placed in Honadelphia 
Polyandria, as has been done by subsequent writers of the Linnean school. But Linnæus 
had very imperfect specimens of Thea at his disposal even when he publis ed the sixth 
edition of his «Genera Plantarum.’ After the publication of that edition, however, he 
seems to have had access to better materials; for in one of his copies of that work pre- 
served in our library we find several marginal notes in his own handwriting, + ER the 
VOL. XXII. 
