302 TJte Camellia ; its Ii/troduclioti. 



History. 



The camellia is a native of China and Japan. In Japan, 

 it forms a lofty and splendid tree, greatly admired for the 

 beauty of its flowers, which are produced from October to 

 April. In all the Japanese gardens, camellias are planted, 

 embracing several varieties. Linneeus conferred upon it the 

 name of Camellia, in honor of George Joseiih Camelli, a Mo- 

 ravian Jesuit, and traveller in Asia. 



Introduction. 



According to Loudon, Lord Petre first introduced the ca- 

 mellia into England about or before the year 1739. The 

 Abbe Berbese states, however, that Father Camelli, after 

 whom the genus is named, first imported it into Europe in 

 1739. Lord Petre's plants were at first kept in a stove, and, 

 in consequence of this, they were all killed. It was after- 

 wards reimported and treated diflerently, but it was not until 

 about the beginning of the present century that the camellia 

 begun to be much esteemed in England. The old single red, 

 the type of the family; was the only kind known up to 1792, 

 a period of more than fifty years, at which time the old double 

 white and the double striped were imported : in 1794, the old 

 double red was received ; in 1S06, the Lady Hume; myrti- 

 folia in 1808 ; anemoneflora in 1809 ; Pomponia in 1810 ; 

 fimbriata in 181G, &c. &c. With the importation of these 

 elegant varieties, the taste for the camellia rapidly increased, 

 and few if any families of plants were more extensively prop- 

 agated than this. C. var. candidissima, tricolor, and some 

 other varieties, were not introduced until about 1830. The 

 first seedling raised in England was C. var. R6ss«, which 

 was first exhibited in 1824. 



At what period the camellia was first received in this coun- 

 try is not known ; but, it is believed, about the commence- 

 ment of the present century. Mr. Floy, nurseryman of Har- 

 lem, N. Y., brought over with him, in 1800, a plant of the 

 double white, for John Stevens, Esq., of Hoboken, New Jer- 

 sey, who had previously received the single red. Subse- 

 quently, the other double varieties were introduced soon after 

 their importation to England. 



