By Mr. William Beattie Booth. 521 



Camellia, namely, C. Japonica, C. reticulata, and the plant 

 usually known in the gardens as the Double Purple Sasan- 

 qua, which he has named C. Maliflora. The other species 

 with small flowers resembling those of Thea he would add 

 to that genus ; but this arrangement is objectionable, be- 

 cause although the plants possess many of the characters 

 common to Thea, they will be found on examination to 

 want those which are most essential in the distinguishing 

 of that genus from Camellia. 



The genus Camellia is stated by Sir James Edward Smith, 

 in Rees's Cyclopaedia, to have been named in honour of 

 George Joseph Kamel, a Jesuit, whose name has been 

 latinized into Camellus. He is author of Syllabus Stirpium 

 in insula Luzone Philippinarum, annexed to the third volume 

 of Ray's History. The characters by which the genus is dis- 

 tinguished are as follow. 



Essential Character. Flowers axillary sessile. Calyx inferior, of 7,8 or 

 more deciduous imbricated scales, the inner ones the largest. Corolla of 5 petals. 

 Styles united nearly their whole length. Capsule furrowed, having as many 

 cells as furrows, and one or two seeds in each. 



Of this genus six distinct species are all that have as yet been 

 introduced. I shall describe them in the following manner, 

 viz. 1. C. Sasanqua. 2. C. oleifera. 3. C. Kissi. 4. C. 

 Maliflora. 5. C. reticulata. 6. C. Japonica. 



I. Camellia Sasanqua. 

 Lady Banks's Camellia. 



C. Sasanqua ; ramis virgatis capsulaque villosis, foliis junionbus elliptico- 

 lanceolatis serratis, petalis obovatis vel obcordatis. Kek, in Bot. Register, 

 p. 12. 



This plant is recorded in the last edition of the Hortus 

 vol. vii. 3 Y 



