BOTANY. 



FIGS. 521-5. ILLUSTRATIONS OP CAMEL- 

 LIA CHINBNSIS. 



Order Ternstrcemiacese. Trees and shrubs with alternate (rarely 



opposite) leaves, and mostly monoclinous axillary or racemed flowers. 



Species 260, mostly tropical. (Figs. 520 and 521-5.) 



Several ornamental species are indigenous to the Southern United 



States e.g., the Loblolly Bay (Gordonia Lasianthus, Fig 520), a tree 



nine to fifteen metres (30 to 50 ft.) high ; G. pubescens, th^ Mountain 



Bay ; and two shrubby species of Stuartia. 



The most common exotic species cultivated for ornament is the 



Camellia (Camellia Japonicd) a well-known hot-house shrub from 



China and Japan. 



The Tea Tree (Camellia Chinensis or Thea Chinensis) is an evergreen 



tree three to five metres high, and 

 a native, probably, of Southern 

 and Eastern Asia. It has been 

 cultivated for ages by the Chi- 

 nese, and has lately been intro- 

 duced to a limited extent into 

 other countries. In preparing the 

 leaves they are carefully picked, 

 and then are subjected to alternate 

 drying, pressing, rolling and air- 

 ing until the proper chemical 

 changes have taken place, and a 

 sufficient part of the water is 

 driven off. The different kinds 

 and qualities of tea depend upon 

 the rapidity of the process, and 

 also upon the age of the leaves 

 used, the more rapid process and 

 the younger leaves producing the 



FIG. 523. 



FIG. 525. 



Fig. 521. Ripe frnit Magnified. 



Fig. 522. Seed. Magnified. 



Fig. 523. Section of seed. Magnified. 



Fig. 524. Embryo. Magnified. 



Fig. 525. Half embryo, innei face. Ma, 



finer green teas, the slower pro- 

 cess and older leaves producing 

 the black teas. Somewhat appears 

 also to depend upon the variety of 

 the plant, there being, it is gene- 

 rally admitted, two varieties or 



races, viz., var. mridis and var. BoJiea. 



Tea leaves after preparation contain the alkaloid Caffeine (C 8 H 10 



N 4 2 + H a O), which also occurs in roasted coffee. 



Order Guttiferese. Trees and shrubs with yellowish or greenish 

 resinous juice, opposite leaves, and mostly diclinous flowers. Species 

 230, all tropical. 



Gardnia Morella, a small tree of Siam, produces Gamboge, a valuable 

 color used in painting. Incisions are made into the bark, and the juice 

 which exudes is gathered and dried, constituting the crude Gamboge. 



The Mangosteen, a fruit about as large as an apple, and considered 



