By Mr. William Beattie Booth. 



527 



from that species. In growth it is erect and slender, and 

 forms a compact bushy shrub, which in the spring months is 

 covered with a multitude of delicate purplish-red flowers. 



The branches are round, twiggy, erect, densely clothed with pubescence, and 

 of a dark brown colour. The leaves are obovate, seldom more than 2 inches long, 

 and one inch broad, much pointed and recurved, with numerous small sharp ser- 

 ratures ; they are of thin substance compared with either those of Camellia 

 Sasanqua, or Japonica ; to the latter perhaps they have the nearest resemblance, 

 and like them are of a dark shining green, but they have a pale coloured villous 

 midrib, and short, round villous footstalks. The flower-buds are oval, and blunt 

 at the point, with comparatively large roundish-cordate, pubescent, brownish-green 

 scales. The flowers vary from 1 \ inch to 2 inches in diameter, are remarkably 

 handsome, being very regular in their formation, and of a pale purplish red colour. 

 The outer petals expand quite flat, some of them indeed are often reflexed, but 

 so arranged as to give a nice even circumference to the whole flower ; they are 

 each about three-quarters of an inch broad, a little divided at their extremity, 

 otherwise nearly round, and of a darker colour than the other petals, which are 

 very pale, excepting at their base, where they have the same purplish tinge as the 

 outer petals. Those in the very centre of the flower are narrow, and rise upright, 

 a good deal resembling stamens, from being yellowish at the tip ; they are short, 

 numerous, and irregularly shaped, often undulated and deeply divided, but of 

 nearly an equal height, and disposed in such a manner as to give to the flower the 

 appearance of a small purplish coloured Rose. In some flowers, where the petals 

 are not very numerous in the centre, a few parcels of imperfect stamina may be 

 observed, but in general they are all transformed into small narrow petals. 



It was first brought to this country, in 1816, by Captain 

 Richard Rawes, who presented the original plant to his 

 relation, Thomas Carey Palmer, Esq. of Bromley, in Kent, 

 in whose choice collection it flowered in 1818, and was after- 

 wards published in the Botanical Magazine, t. 2080, and Bot. 

 Reg. t. 549, as a variety of C. Sasanqua ; hence it has been 

 cultivated, and is usually known by the name of the Sa- 

 sanqua rosea, or Palmers Double Sasanqua Camellia ; but 

 from that species it has been separated by Mr. Lindley, 

 in the Botanical Register, f. 1078, who has applied to it the 

 name here adopted. 



The plants of it in the Society's collection were received 

 originally from Mr. Lee, of the Hammersmith Nursery. 



