THEACEiE— TEA FAMILY 



STUARTIA 



Studrtia pcntdgyna. 



Stuartia, in honor of John Stuart, Marquis of Bute, who 

 was characterized by Linnaeus as " a most knowing bota- 

 nist." 



An erect, sturdy shrub six to twelve feet high, native 

 to the mountains of Virginia and southward. The 

 leaves are large, frequently five inches long, rather 

 thick and heavy ; the margins slightly serrulate or 

 entire. 



The plant is really one of the most attractive of 

 summer blooming shrubs. It has been cultivated for 

 more than a hundred years ; is fairly hardy at the 

 north, perfectly so at the Arnold Arboretum, yet is 

 virtually unknown in northern gardens. 



The flowers are solitary, borne in the axils of the 

 leaves ; the blooming period extends through July and 

 August. The buds are large, round and fully an inch 

 in diameter before they expand. 



The flowers are cream-white, three to four inches 

 across and look not unlike a single camellia. Each 

 flower has five petals normally, though sometimes 

 there are more, and each petal is one to one and a half 



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