548 



BOTANY. 



Pigs. 531-B. — Illustrations of Camel- 

 lia Chujensis. 



Order TernstroemiaceSe. — Trees and shrubs with alternate {rarely 



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



Species 360, mostly tropical. (Figs. 530 and 531-5.) 

 Several ornamental species are indigenous to the Southern United 



States — e.g., the Loblolly Bay {Oordonia Lasianthus, Fig 530), a tree 



nine to fifteen metres (30 to 50 ft,) high ; O. puheseens, the Mountain 



Bay ; and two shrubby species of Stuartia. 



The most common exotic species cultivated for ornament is the 



Camellia (Gamellia Japonica) a well-known hot-house shrub from 



China and Japan. 



The Tea Tree {Gamellia OMnends or Tliea Chinenm) 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 coantries. 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 

 finer green teas, the slower pro- 

 cess and older leaves producing 

 the hlaek 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. Boliea. 



Tea leaves after preparation contain the alkaloid Caffeine (Cs Hio 



Ni Oj + Hj 0), which also occurs in roasted coffee. 



Order G-uttiferese. — Trees and shrubs with yellowish or greenish 

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

 330, all tropical. 



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

 color used in painting. Incisioris 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 



Fia. 523. 



Fig. B21.— Ripe fruit. 

 Kg. 528.— Seed. Magnifleil. 

 Pig. 523.— Section of seed. Magnified. 

 Fig. 524.— Embryo. Magnified. 

 Pig. 5a5.—Half embryo, iimei face. Mag- 

 nified. 



