'-•isa m
4
••«i
- 4
T H E V A H I E T I E S.
TirE .IAPAN- UOSE, Uie principi objcct of lliis work, ami
Its cxléiidcd \'ariclies, « iiii li src iiow bcconic vcry luimeroiis,
aiul. ;irc gugcrly smiglU aficr for tlicir bciiuty, wa' long
hcia ili llic higlicsl estimiition by the Cbi.iose, ìiikI by tlii-
Japanese, « lio call it Tsiihaki,
willi asb-coloure<l !>ark. and
V pU.
is a Tvcc of coiisidcvablc size,
t beaiilil'iil sliiiiiiig evergreen
atei- attractions at all seasons
Willi cull aitcd ouly for its beauty, but
uf Ihc ycii
Ibc Cbiiiese gain the profitabU
iddition of a fine espresseti
Oil for ciilinar)' purposes; and allliougli we iirc tokl by travellers
that this oil is prucluced from the Sesaniiiia, we apprehend it is
expressed I'roui the kernels of this species also, iis s<;\eral of
the \'arieties bear tliem in tolerable abuncknce even in this
ribiiig the
untry.
We sliall perhaps best fulfil our design of
irincipal varieties, by keeping to tlic plates whicli this is intended
0 iUustrate. and shall notice first the Plate with Ihc Siugle
Varieties; \\7..
1. The SINGLE WHITE.
2. The SINGLE RED.
3. Tlie SESAN«UA, or Ladu Bauks's Camellia.
Natuie appears truly beautiful in all her «-orks, nor less
50 in the more simple forms of her produetions. In this Plate
we have elegantly contrasted the ^Vhitc and the Red Camellias,
one appearing in \
pnrity, tiie other robed i
pomp. The observer cannot fail to r
the young foliage, which, if c.-cposed
liable to injury; but in a more ma
darker hue, and of a more solid tc
c the state of
.igh weather, is very
stage becomes of a
, ^•ying in hardiness
from their short Ibots
individually; being
ilks, has l)ut little power over the leaves individi
inly seated on the Branches by a solid protuberai
with difliculty plucked oR' ivithout
0 that
In the Single White th Petals ai
inward and three outward ;
leathery sul)stance, large, origi
'[•he Single Red has generally as
with only two inner ones; these
shaped, ending obtuse. They
the White, and have a less nui
nor ha^•e tliey the san
Perhaps we are apt 1
the Red we have so
us ; whereas the White
Ihey ai
bark of (he branch with thcni. The protection of the young
Blossoms of the Camellias, has been admirably provided for !iy
Nature in all tlic varieties wc at present know, but ¡jartieularly
in the Single White, which is most pre-eminently distinguished
by its hop-like Caljx-leaves, wliich are imbricated like the tiles
on a house, having the appearance of a cone, out of which
the more tender Petals of the Corolla slightly protrude, until
genial weather sullers them to expaml their beauties to tlie
admiring eye.
in number, three
;art-shapcd, of a
1 unguis or claw,
more Petals, but
nguiform, or tongueare
considerably smaller than
iber of protecting Calyx-leaves,
;legant expanded form as the White.
,-ic«' this with some little i>artiality;
has become familiar to
the present period.
ot\en
The SRSANauA lias less pretensions to beauty than the
others, nor are its White Petals disposed in the same artilicial
manner. Some of them are evidently heart-shaped in our
specimens, the Petals are more numerous than are described
liy travellers, l>ut this difference arises probably from exuberant
culture; for in the Sesanqua, as noticed by Dr. Lettsom, in his
Observations on the Tea-Plant, and nicntione<l by Sir George
Staunton, in his valuable History of the Embassy to China,
there appear only live Petals, orbicularly placed, like
.ir single
Anemone, or the Dog Rose, and the Petals arc r
iind and
eniarginatc. It is thus described by Professor Mai-tyn :
Camellia Sesanqua is a Tree of a middle size, dilferii
•ing from
the others in having thinner narrower leaves, obscurely serrated;
flowers many times smaller, with oblong cmargiaatc Petals, and
a smaller and more slender stem. The Flowers are borne
singly at the ends ol' the branches ; the Calyx is live leaved,
sometimes six leaved ; the Petals five in number, sometimes
six or seven, snow white and deciduous. The Leaves of this
a sweet smell. A
1 to wash their hair,
it a grateful odour."
mucli resembles tlie
ittlc else besides its
suflicient mark of
the base, and even
plant arc dried
decoction of th
and they are mi
Indeed, continu
Tea Plant, tlia
coalescing stami
distinction, as tl
n the shade, and have
n is used by the womci
:d with Green Tea to give
the Professor, " this so
it is distinguished by I
s, and this is scarcely a
stamens coalesce only at
sometimes seem to be distinct." This aceoinit is confirmed by
Sir George Staunton, in his History of I-ord Macartney's
Em bassy to Ch i u a. " Th rough out th i s i ou rn ey," say s S i r Goo rgc,
" not a mile was travelled wilhout a village, nor a spot observed.
rocks. • perpendicular heights, that ' not
under cultivation,
The rocky [ilaces appeared to be denuded of the
which had covcred them formerly, in order to place it on a
surface w'here it might become more conveniently a medium for
tlie nutriment of plants. When the surface of the hill or
mountain is not nearly perpen.llcular lo the level surface of the
earth, the slope is converted inlo a number of terraces, one
aljovc another, cach of „ hid, is sui>portcd by nioun.ls of s'tone
By this management it is not uneoninion to see ,he whole f.,cc
of a nionntiiin completely culllvated (o the summit. A rc.wvoir
is sunk in the top of the mountain : the rain-wa.cr collccted iu
It IS conveyed by chunnels succe.«ively to the dillerent terraces
placed upou the mountain's sides. Iu spo.s too rugged, barren,
steep, or high for raising other plants, the Camelliu Scsanqna,
and divers Kirs, particularly the Lai-ch, are cnltivnted with
success. This plant; the Sesanqua. gix,ws in a soil consisting
of little more than the fragments of stones, eiuinblcd into a
sort of coai-se earth by the joint action of ihe sun and laiu.
Tlic Chinese call tliis plant Chaw-,vluiw, which means the flower
of Tea. which it very much resembles, and iis petals, as well
as the entire fiowei-s of the Arabian Jasmine, are sometimes
mixed among the Teas in order to increase their fragrance.
The Sesanqua yields a Nut. from which is expressed nn esculent
oil. equal to the best which comes lr,.m Florence. It is
cultivated on this aeeount in vast abundance, and it is.parti«,.
larly valuable from the laeillty of its culture in places fit for
little else."
Petiver names this plant Thca. from its great resemblance
to Ihc Tea-plant, or mistaking it for the same, ibr it is ^•cry
remarkable, that Linnaeus for some years endeavoured in ^.ain
to procure the true Tea-plant for the Botani.. Garden, at Upsal,
In the year 17-K3, I.agei-stooi
East India Company, brought
China, «'hich he had received
Canielliiii In T6!) Linn
le Tea-plan
nade
•tor of the Swedish
ilants, obtained from
ich, but they pro^•ed to be
ttenipt, ami lie
a ¡ílaiit from Jussieu,
but tills also proved upon flowering to be a Camellia : the
crafty Chinese, says Professor Martyn, being careful to conceal
the true. Tca-j.lant, Liniueus, liowcver. u! last obtained it from
Gu.'itavus Ekeberg, a Caiitahi of a Swcdisli Indiaman, raised
on the voyage from seeds.
The Camellia wa.<! unknoini iti the lime of Miller, or at any
rate it does not appear In the first edition of his Botanical
Diclionary. The Single Camellias, of which at present we
have but few varieties, possess gix^at simple beauty, and serve
admirably to exemplify their classical characters. We will now
proceed lo the other varieties, M'hieh many will think more
splendid.
they 1
I; CA^
le dawn is tlie harhinger of morning, and llie sun
ice rcach ills meridian glory, so the Camelli.-U
"s by degrees in l,c„„iy. In this second plate
itrike the eye with dazzling pcrfcclion, and we
cannot bul view with admiration the diversitv an.l elegance of
I 'I'i^ Lcautiful family of phmls, which Hie alWise and bountiful
l.an,l of God seems to have formed tor Ihe delight of mankind.
I A regular unilannlty would diminish the gratification, but every
var.ely being formed on a separalc plan, and exhibiting sometlnng
entirely new. „n,- eager longing for novelty is kept u-•
an,I akliough a likeness runs tluough Ihc whole fam
lias its own mo.lc, whieh Is -,uile ori.dnnl. 'I'l.us ;
vcrsiint wilh i
y, yet cach
1 tlicy .
s from
iclliiis would, whc
unerring certaini
i-aricty by name fioin the foliage alone,
simple lo complex; her pi-oductions arc s|
given them a law. which (he industry of man taking advantage
"I. has mulliplie,l ihem. and is still multiplying them, so as to
form endless varieties, Mosi probably the Camellias were first"
created White and Red. but from culture the whole of the
intermediate shades and shapes have been produced. The
Farina of the White might be wafted by tlie winds, or carried
by the l>ce. and other insects to Ihe Red ; ihc seeds thus
impregnated may have produced the variegated or striped.
For, although the Double White is so perfeclly .iouble as to
produce neither Stamina tior Pistilla. yet the Striped is some-
<loublc but that it may be capable of bearing Seeds,
I'rom which
many other
with much 1 re Whit. an<l
t whici
espccl: . diflcri
ying il
widely fr
It must lie evident to all who
arc conversant in pi-opagating plants, that the Double White
Camellia is often so perfectly double, that the whole of its parts
of fructification are c.)n\'erteil into petals, and therefore incafiable
of bearing Seeds; so lhat it can add nothing lo our varieties:'
but the Single White and a new variety of Semiyoublc ^y¡,kc
of late introiiiiction (Welbankiana) may furnish with the He.is
endless varieties. Of Plants, therefore, as well as animals, it
may be Iruly said " Male and Female create.! he them."
L The DOUBLE REU CA.MELLIA, and '
2. The ICEW BLI/SII CAMELLIA.
in our first view «'c saw Nature in all lier simple attire, and
in the last described Plate the ¡lerfeet White and mixed White
and Red; here tJie Wliite and Red continue under a >erv