C. paraguayensis (Paraguay). fl. rose-red, ⅔in. in diameter, in terminal corymbose, glandular, hairy panicles. July. l. nearly 1in. long, sessile, ovate, acute, three-nerved, pale green, with entire ciliate margins. Stem annual, herbaceous, leafy. h. 10in. to 18in. 1880. (B. M. 6604.)
CAMBIUM. The formative fluid found between the bark and wood of Exogens, in spring.
CAMBUY FRUIT. See Eugenia.
CAMELLIA (named in honour of George Joseph Camellus or Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit and traveller in Asia, who wrote a history of the plants of the Isle of Luzon, which is inserted in the third vol. of John Ray's "Historia Plantarum"). Japanese Rose. Including Thea. ORD. Ternstrœmiaceæ. A genus of elegant hardy or nearly hardy evergreen shrubs or trees. Flowers large; sepals five or six, gradually passing from bracts into petals, the latter slightly cohering at the base; stamens numerous. Leaves coriaceous. By close attention to a few particulars in the management of these beautiful plants, much disappointment may be avoided, and a succession of flowers obtained from October till the following July. The fact of the buds frequently dropping off, deters many would-be growers from attempting the culture of the Camellia. Dryness of the atmosphere, and want of water at the roots, are generally the primary causes of failure; the remedy for these evils rests with the cultivator. The roots are apt to get matted together, compressing the earth around them into a hard ball, impervious to water; hence attention is necessary to see that the water poured into the pot thoroughly moistens all the soil. In order to form handsome plants, they should be trained with single stems to rods, and pruned, so as to make them throw out side branches from every part of the stem; they must not be placed too close to each other on the stage, or when planted out. A liberal supply of water is always necessary, but especially so during the flowering period. Plants that are required to flower early may remain in the warm house till they commence to blossom, when they should be removed to a cold place, such as the back of a greenhouse, giving them plenty of light. Those kept in a hothouse or vinery during summer, will flower in the beginning or middle of October; and a large plant, having from fifty to one hundred buds, will continue in flower till the month of January. Those that are removed early, will blossom in January, and so succeed the others. The plants that have finished flowering should be brought back to the hothouse, where they will begin to make new wood, and be ready to come in succession next season. By thus shifting the plants from a warm to a cold situation, a regular succession will be secured from October to July. The soil should be kept constantly moist, and in the summer months the leaves occasionally syringed. Camellias flower best when kept in small pots or tubs. In order to raise and exhibit these handsome plants to the best advantage, they should be grown in a separate house, of ample height, as they never look so well as when 6ft. or 8ft. high, trained in a conical form, with branches from the root upwards; and the plants should be raised near to the glass on a movable stage, which should be lowered as they grow. In summer, they may either be placed in the open air in a sheltered spot, or the glass roof of the house can be taken off. The hardier sorts, such as the Double-red, Blush, and Pæony-flowered, succeed in the bed or border of a conservatory, if the roof can be taken off in summer, so as to admit air. If this cannot be managed, they are better grown in portable pots or boxes. The most suitable time for shifting Camellias is directly after flowering; they should then be put into a vinery or hothouse, where there is a little heat; or the warmest part of a greenhouse. They will soon begin to make new wood, where they should be allowed to remain, amply supplied with water, till they form their flower buds, at the extremity and sides of the young growth. A few should then be removed to a cold place, and shaded during strong sunshine. In a few weeks afterwards, others may also be transferred, so as to have a regular succession of flowering plants.
Propagation. The red Camellias are generally propagated by layers, but cuttings will also succeed; the single red Camellia being raised by either cuttings, layers, or seeds. This latter forms suitable stocks on which to inarch or graft the rarer kinds. The ripened shoots of the preceding summer should be taken off in August, cutting them smoothly at a joint or bud. Two or three of the lower leaves should be taken off, and the cuttings planted firmly in the soil with a dibble. Some growers use peat earth and sand to strike in, while others prefer a loam mixed with sand and peat. The pans containing the cuttings should be kept in a plant or cold frame, without being covered with glasses, but shaded during powerful sunshine. In the following spring, such as have struck will begin to push, when they need to be placed in a gentle heat. The following September or October, the rooted plants will be fit to pot off, and in the second or third spring they may be used as stocks. Inarching or grafting is done in early spring, as soon as growth commences. When this process is completed, care must be taken to fix the pot containing the stock so that it may not be disturbed during the connection of the scion with the parent plant. The grafting being clayed over, is then covered with moss, to prevent its cracking. When independent grafting is resorted to, the mode called "side grafting" is generally employed, as in the case of Orange-trees; but the operation of tongueing is generally omitted, as tending to weaken the stock. Liquid or other manure is not required; nor is it desirable to apply it, as it often, sooner or later, causes the destruction of the plants. As a rule, insects do not trouble this class of plants; but scale will sometimes appear, and can easily be removed by hand. Thrips occasionally put in an appearance, but a little smoke will quickly get rid of them.
C. euryoides (Eurya-like). fl. white; peduncles lateral, one-flowered, scaly. May to July. l. ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrated, silky beneath. Branches hairy. h. 4ft. China, 1822. (B. R. 983.)
FIG. 336. FLOWERING BRANCH OF CAMELLIA JAPONICA.
C. japonica (Japanese).* Common Camellia. fl. variously coloured, axillary, sessile. l. ovate, acuminate, acutely serrated. h. 20ft. Japan and China, 1739. The innumerable hybrids are chiefly the offspring of this species. See Fig. 336.
