238 NATURAL HISTORY. 



through Russia or bj the overland route, is considered 

 the best. i>. 



The Camellia (Camellia japonica) is a shrub not unlike 

 the tea plant, and grows wild in all the hedges in Japan. 

 The leaves, pointed, oval, and notched, are leathery but 

 smooth and shining, as if varnished ; the flowers, con- 

 sisting of five petals, are large and beautifully colored ; 

 the wood of the stem is hard ; the seeds are contained in 

 a broad three-knobbed capsule, about the size of a, hazel- 

 nut; is valuable as containing a considerable portion of 

 an essential oil, which is used for many purposes in the 

 East; sometimes called the Japan rose. The colors are 

 various flesh-colored, bright red, rose color, and white. 

 One of the most beautiful flowering plants, it is, with us, 

 of difficult cultivation, requiring much skill and patience, 

 as well as protection from the climate. There are two 

 hundred varieties. T?. 



SEVENTEENTH FAMILY. AURANTIACE.E. (Class 13, 

 L.) A noble genus of shrubs and trees, with fragrant 

 fruit and odoriferous flowers. From the latter is obtained 

 the oil of heroli, which, used in. composition of cologne 

 water arid other perfumes, imparts its own delicious odor 

 to them. 



The Lemon Tree (Citrus medica) is large and lofty ; 

 height twenty feet ; bark smooth ; small branches, armed 

 with thorns ; leaves long and acute ; smooth, glossy, and 

 parchment-like. The flowers are violet color outside; 

 within, white and very fragrant ; fruit egg-shaped, and 

 larger than an apple ; the yellow rind, thick and very 

 fragrant, contains an acid pulp, the agreeable juice fur- 

 nishing the most refreshing drinks, well known as punch 

 and lemonade. The seeds, whitish-yellow, are attached 

 to the inner angle of the carpel, and vai*y from two to 



