GOEDONIA 



CAMELLIA OBDEB 



CAMELLIA 269 



Sepals usually 5, unequal. Petals free, 

 or slightly connate at the base, much 

 imbricated, the inner ones larger. 

 Stamens numerous, often in 5 bundles, 

 or united in a ring and adnate to the 

 petals. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — The 

 species mentioned below are the only 

 ones grown out of doors in the British 

 Islands, and, although they have been 

 introduced more than a century and a 

 half, are still very little known. This is 

 owing chiefly to the fact that they are 

 not readily increased, either by seeds or 

 layers — the raethods of propagation 

 usually adopted. They thrive in light 

 peaty soil with plenty of leaf mould in it, 

 and should be placed in the most shel- 

 tered and warmest parts of the garden. 



As seeds are very rarely produced in 

 our climate, it is not possible to obtain 

 plants by that means very often. Im- 

 ported seeds should be sown immediately 

 on arrival, in light sandy peat and leaf 

 soil, and placed in gentle heat. Layers 

 may be made during the summer and 

 autumn months, and cuttings of the 

 ripened shoots may also be inserted in 

 moist sandy peat and loam, either in 

 gentle heat (which is best) or under a 

 handlight. 



G. Lasianthus. — A beautiful Camellia- 

 like shrub 8-10 ft. high, native of the sea- 

 coast swamps of the S. United States. 

 Leaves oblong, smooth, serrated, leathery. 

 Flowers irom July to September, white, 

 about 4 in. across, fragrant, borne in the 

 axils of the leaves. 



Culture etc. as above. 



G. pubescens. — A shghtly dwarfer 

 species from the same region, with 

 obovate-lance-shaped, somewhat serrated 

 leaves, downy beneath. Flowers late in 

 summer, white, about 3 in. across, frag- 

 rant, with a bundle of conspicuous golden- 

 yellow stamens in the centre. 



Culture &c. as above. 



CAMELLIA.— A genus which in- 

 cludes over a dozen species of beautiful 

 evergreen trees and shrubs, with serrated, 

 leathery or membranous shining green 

 leaves. Flowers axillary, solitary or clus- 

 tered, sessile or shortly stalked, showy. 

 Sepals 5-6, unequal, gradually passing 

 from bracteoles to petals ; the latter 

 slightly cohering at the base, much im- 

 bricated. Stamens numerous, many of 



the outer ones cohering and attached to 

 the base of the petals ; inner ones free. 



Camellias, although usually grown 

 in cool greenhouses, are in reality hardier 

 plants than is generally supposed. From 

 the Thames Valley southwards, and in 

 favourable parts of the south-west of Scot- 

 land and Ireland, they are practically 

 hardy. Indeed during the severe frosts 

 of the winters of 1879-80 and 1880-81 

 Camellias in widely distant parts of the 

 country (Wales, Isle of Wight, Dorset, 

 Argyllshire, Surrey, Cornwall &c.) were 

 quite uninjured by frosts, although in 

 many parts well-favoured geographically 

 the plants were injured. Altitude, 

 exposure, soil and drainage would account 

 for this, however, in many cases. 



Culture and Propagation. — Camel- 

 lias like a good rich compost of sandy peat 

 and loam, and should never be allowed 

 to get too dry at the roots, as the 

 flowers are likely to drop as a conse- 

 quence. The plants are greatly benefited 

 by a daily syringe during the summer time 

 — either early in the morning or late in the 

 afternoon. If the water is applied with 

 some force from a hose pipe, the stems 

 and leaves are kept beautifully clean, and 

 the flower buds become plumper, and are 

 more likely to develop, than if the plants 

 are not attended to. 



The best position for the CameUia is 

 facing north or north-west, with a wall or 

 hedge in the background for protection 

 from fierce cold winds, which seem to do 

 a good deal of mischief. If low-growing 

 hardy shrubs like Osmanthus, Olearia &c. 

 are planted in front of them, they are a 

 great protection to the stems and roots, 

 which are often more affected by biting 

 winds than the foliage. A shady position, 

 but one at the same time fully exposed 

 and well ventilated, is best for outdoor 

 Camellias, as they do not like the scorch- 

 ing heat and bright sunshine of summer. 



As the wood is fairly well-ripened by 

 July, that is the best time for planting — 

 either from pots or the open ground. 

 Have the hole sufficiently large to admit 

 of the roots being evenly spread over the 

 surface and not crumpled up in a ball. 

 In this way the soil wiU get in among 

 the roots properly, new ones will develop 

 more rapidly, and thus enable the plants 

 to become well established before the 

 winter. Planting is always best done in 

 dull showery weather, so that the plants 

 wiU not suffer too much by the evaporation 



