XII. THE CAMELLIA. 



WE have selected for this month a flower of which 

 there are two principal varieties, called in Japanese 

 sazankwa and tsubaki. The Chinese ideograms used for 

 the latter are the same as the first two ideograms of the 

 former, and mean "mountain-tea," so that sazankwa means 

 etymologically "wild tea flower." The tea-plant is scien- 

 tifically classed as camellia theifera. The tsubaki does not 

 generally bloom till January, but the sazankwa blossoms 

 come in December. 



Mr. Conder states the following about this flower: 

 "There is a prejudice against the camellia on account of 

 the fragility of the flower, which falls to pieces at the 

 slightest touch; it is nevertheless much esteemed as being 

 an evergreen." The famous Ogasawara mentions the fol- 

 lowing reasons for the high estimation in which the camel- 

 lia should be held. It is recorded that, in the time of the 

 gods, Susano no Mikoto and his spouse Inada Hime built 

 a palace, and as a token of unchanging fidelity for eight 

 thousand years planted a camellia tree. This tree is said 

 still to exist in the province of Idzumo and is called Yachi- . 

 yo no tsubaki, or "the camellia tree of eight thousand 

 years." Another reason assigned for the high estimation 

 in which the tree is held is that the mortar in which the rice 

 for the wedding-cake is ground is made of its wood. From 

 the seeds a fine hair oil is made. 



