306 CAMELLIACE^. [part n. 



from which nearly all the Camellias in British 

 gardens have sprung ; but there are some other 

 species. The finest of these is C. reticulata, 

 which has very large, loose, widely-spreading 

 flowers, of a remarkably rich crimson. The 

 leaves are oblong, flat, and reticulately veined, 

 being of a much finer texture than those 

 of C japonica. The ovary is two or four- 

 celled, and it is covered with fine silky hairs. 

 C. maliflora is a very beautiful species with small 

 semi-double flowers, coloured like an apple blos- 

 som. This Camellia is by some botanists 

 thought to be a variety of C. Sasanqua, an 

 elegant species with white fragrant flowers ; 

 but the ovary of the first is smooth, and that 

 of the second covered with hairs, which most 

 botanists consider a specific difference. 



The Tea tree (Thea viridis) is very nearly 

 allied to the Camellia; but there are many points 

 of difference. The flower of the Tea tree has a 

 footstalk; the calyx has only five sepals; the fila- 

 ments of the stamens do not grow together ; the 

 capsules are three-seeded ; and the dissepiments 

 are formed by the edges of the valves being bent 

 inwards, instead of being attached to a central 

 axis. The leaves are also much longer than 

 they are broad, and they are of a thinner tex- 

 ture and pale green ; and the outside of the 

 capsule, which is furrowed in the Camellia, is 



