Observations on the Camellia and its varieties. 97 



a most powerful and efBcient vermifuge: the powder of the seed 

 even answers the same purpose, and thus a principal constituent 

 of this juice is fibrine, a principle otherwise supposed peculiar 

 to the animal kingdom, and to fungi. The plant has, moreover, 

 the singular property of rendering the toughest animal substances 

 tender, by causing a separation of the muscular fibres: its very 

 vapor does this; newly killed meat, suspended among the leaves, 

 and old hogs and old poultry, becoming tender in a few hours, 

 when fed on the leaves and fruit." 



The genus was formerly placed in the order Cucurbitaceae of 

 the natural system. Dr. Lindley has, however, made it the 

 type of a new order, Fopaydcex. In this opinion he is sup- 

 ported by Auguste St. Hilloise. The plant must be a very 

 beautiful object when covered with its monstrous golden fruit, 

 and would be a great ornament to all stove collections. We hope 

 the gardener at Hyde Park will send us his mode of treating the 

 plant since it was raised from the seed. 



In regard to the fruiting of the papaw apple in England, we 

 have ourselves no evidence. We find it, however, enumerated 

 in the catalogue of plants in the Duke of Bedford's collection, 

 at Woburn, given in the Hortus Wohurnensis, Loudon, in his 

 Hortus Britannicus, states that it was introduced to England in 

 1690, and is figured in the Botanical Register, 459. But we 

 have not the first series of this work, and therefore cannot state 

 whether the figure was from a British or foreign specimen: as 

 many tropical plants and fruits have been figured both in the Bo- 

 tanical Magazine and Botanical Register., from drawings taken 

 in their native countries, that of the papaw apple may have been 

 made in the same manner. If the gardener at Hyde Park, or 

 Mr. Hogg, should favor us with its management, from the seed 

 to its fruiting state, we will endeavor to append, to the same, some 

 account of it from the above-mentioned works. — Ed. 



Art. V. Observations on the Camellia and its Varieties, with 

 some account of its introduction into Great Britain and this 

 country. By M. P. Wilder. 



[Continued from Vol. Ill, p. 1S6.] 



65. Camellia japonica var. Graya nova. French Catalogues. 



This is a fine French variety. The flowers are large, of a 

 brilliant crimson color; the exterior petals are in two or three 

 VOL. IV. — ^•o. in. 13 



