GUftmi College Scientific Society. 37 



while Camellia, which it closely resembles, has numerous de- 

 ciduous sepals, double as many free stamens as petals, and normally 

 five styles. The flowers of Thea are turned downwards, whilst 

 those of Camellia are erect. 



The species of the genus Thea are few in number ; some 

 botanists are of opinion that even these are only varieties of a 

 single species. 



The tea-plant {Thea Sinensis) is a polyandrous evergreen shrub 

 (belonging to Monadelphia Polyandria of the Linnean system, 

 and to Ternstromiacea or the ' Theads,' of Mirbel, De Candolle, 

 and Lindley), and is of the same family as the Camellias, to one 

 species of which {Camellia Sasanqua, introduced from China in 

 1811) it bears a very close resemblance. It usually grows to a 

 height of from three to five feet. The stem is bushy, with nume- 

 rous and very leafy branches. The leaves are alternate, large, 

 elliptical, obtusely serrated, veined, and placed on short chan- 

 nelled foot-stalks. The calyx is small, smooth, and divided into 

 five obtuse segments or sepals. The flowers are white, axillary, 

 and slightly fragrant ; often two or three together on separate 

 pedicels. The corolla has from five to nine petals, cohering at the 

 base. The stamens are short, numerous, and inserted at the base 

 of the corolla. The anthers are large and yellow. The style 

 trifid. Fruit a capsule three-celled and three-seeded. 



The tea-plant thrives best on dry sunny slopes, where occa- 

 sional showers fall and springs appear, and an open, somewhat 

 stony, but rich soil prevents the water from lingering about its 

 roots. 



The following is an analysis in 200 parts of the soil in which 

 tea grows in China : — 



The culture of the tea-plant in China is very simple. The 

 plants are raised from seeds, sown in the places where the future 

 plants are to remain. Several are dropped into holes four or five 

 inches deep, three or four feet apart. The plants grow up when 

 the rain comes on, and require little further care, except that of 

 removing weeds, till they are three years old, when they yield 



