''Camellia japonica'', known as common camellia, or Japanese camellia, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in East Asia, eastern and South Asia, southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are ...

, a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

genus in the family Theaceae. There are thousands of cultivars of ''C. japonica'' in cultivation, with many colors and forms of flowers. It is native to China and Japan. The cultivation of ''Camellia japonica'' started in China. Its widespread cultivation can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, when 15 varieties of ''Camellia japonica'' were recorded in literature. It grows in

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

s, at altitudes of around .

Description

''Camellia japonica'' is a flowering

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

, usually tall, but occasionally up to tall. Some cultivated varieties achieve a size of 72 m² or more. The youngest branches are purplish brown, becoming grayish brown as they age.

Leaves

The alternately arranged leathery leaves are dark green on the top side, paler on the underside, usually long by wide with a stalk ( petiole) about long. The base of the leaf is pointed (cuneate), the margins are very finely toothed (serrulate) and the tip somewhat pointed. The leaves are rich in

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic compound, organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeabl ...

s such as lupeol and

squalene Squalene is an organic compound. It is a triterpene with the formula C30H50. It is a colourless oil, although impure samples appear yellow. It was originally obtained from shark liver oil (hence its name, as '' Squalus'' is a genus of sharks). ...

Flower

In the wild, flowering is between January and March. The flowers appear along the branches, particularly towards the ends, and have very short stems. They occur either alone or in pairs, and are across. There are about nine greenish

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

eoles and

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s. Flowers of the wild species have six or seven rose or white

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s, each long by wide; the innermost petals are joined at the base for up to a third of their length. (Cultivated forms often have more petals.) The numerous

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s are long, the outer whorl being joined at the base for up to . The three-lobed

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

is about long. The Japanese white eye bird ('' Zosterops japonica'') pollinates ''Camellia japonica''. ''C. japonica'' flowers are important resources for flower-feeding insects and are visited by a number of insects, most of which are not pollinators but consumers. ''Dasiops'' sp. (

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advance ...

) exploit flower buds. ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' (), from Ancient Greek δρόσος (''drósos''), meaning "dew", and φίλος (''phílos''), meaning "loving", is a genus of fly, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or p ...

unipectinata'', ''D. oshimai'', and ''D. lutescens'' (Diptera) and '' Epuraea commutata'' (

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

) exploit fully opened, late, and fallen flowers.

Fruit

The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

consists of a globe-shaped capsule with three compartments (

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

s), each with one or two large brown

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s with a diameter of . Fruiting occurs in September to October in the wild.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Camellia'' was named after a Jesuit priest and botanist named Georg Kamel. The specific epithet ''japonica'' was given to the species by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Despite its common name, ''Camellia japonica'' is indigenous to China. Camellia japonica has been growing wild since prehistoric times in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

of western Japan, southern Korea, Taiwan, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. In the Song Dynasty, 15 varieties of it were recorded in literature. The reason ''Camellia japonica'' got its name was that Engelbert Kaempfer was one of the first Europeans to give a description of the plant when he first saw it in Japan. Two varieties are distinguished in the ''

Flora of China The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes.Wu, Z. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, eds. 2006. Flora of China. Vol. 22 (Poaceae). Sci ...

'': ''C. japonica'' var. ''japonica'' and ''C. japonica'' var. ''rusticana''

''Camellia japonica'' var. ''japonica''

''C. japonica'' var. ''japonica'' is the form named by Linnaeus, and naturally occurs in forests at altitudes of in Shandong, eastern Zhejiang in mainland China and in Taiwan, south Japan, and South Korea. The leaf has a

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

stem ( petiole) about long. The bracteoles and sepals are velutinous (velvety). It flowers between January and March, and fruits in between September and October. It is grown as a garden plant in the form of many cultivars throughout the world.

''Camellia japonica'' var. ''rusticana''

''Camellia japonica'' var. ''rusticana'' (Honda) T. L. Ming naturally occurs in forests in China. The leaf has a shorter petiole, about long, with fine hairs (pubescent) at the base. The bracteoles and sepals are smooth (glabrous) on the outside. The color of the flowers ranges from red through rose to pink, flowering in April to May. This variety is regarded by some botanical authorities to be a separate species: ''Camellia rusticana''. In Japan it is known by the common name "yuki-tsubaki" (snow camellia) as it naturally occurs in areas of heavy snowfall at altitudes ranging from down to on sloping land under deciduous beech trees in the mountain regions to the north of the main island of Honshu and facing the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

. In December heavy drifts of snow come in from the north, covering the plants to a depth of up to . The bushes remain covered by snow from December till the end of March when the snow melts in early Spring and the camellias start flowering. Cultivars of ''C. japonica'' var. ''rusticana'' include: 'Nishiki-kirin', 'Nishiki-no-mine', 'Toyo-no-hikari' and 'Otome'.

History

China

''Camellia japonica'' has appeared in paintings and porcelain in China since the 11th century. Early paintings of the plant are usually of the single red flowering type. However, a single white flowering plant is shown in the scroll of the ''Four Magpies'' of the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

.Valder, Peter. The Garden Plants of China. Oregon: Timber Press, 1999.

Australia

The first records of camellias in Australia pertain to a consignment to Alexander Macleay of Sydney that arrived in 1826 and were planted in Sydney at Elizabeth Bay House. In 1838 six ''C. japonica'' plants were imported by the botanist, horticulturist and agriculturist William Macarthur. During the years that followed he brought in several hundred varieties and grew them at Camden Park Estate. For many years Macarthur's nursery was one of the main sources of supply to the colony in Australia of ornamental plants, as well as fruit trees and vines. In 1845, William Macarthur wrote to the London nurseryman

Conrad Loddiges Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) * Saint Conrad (disambiguation) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington Elsewher ...

, acknowledging receipt of camellias and mentioning: "I have raised four or five hundred seedlings of camellia, chiefly from seeds produced by 'Anemoniflora'. As this variety never has anthers of its own, I fertilised its blossoms with pollen of ''C. reticulata'' and Sp. ''maliflora''." Although most of Macarthur's seedling varieties have been lost to cultivation, some are still popular today, including 'Aspasia Macarthur' (named after him). A well-known camellia nursery in Sydney was "Camellia Grove", set up in 1852 by Silas Sheather who leased land adjoining the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...

on what was originally part of Elizabeth Farm. ''Fuller's Sydney Handbook'' of 1877 describes his nursery as having 59 varieties of camellias. Camellia and other flowers from Sheather's nursery were sent by

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

downriver to florists at Sydney Markets, tied in bunches and suspended from long pieces of wood which were hung up about the decks. Silas Sheather developed a number of camellia cultivars, the most popular (and still commercially grown) were ''C. japonica'' 'Prince Frederick William' and ''C. japonica'' 'Harriet Beecher Sheather', named after his daughter. The area in the vicinity of Sheather's nursery was eventually made a suburb and named

, in honor of Camellia Grove nursery. By 1883, Shepherd and Company, the leading nurserymen in Australia at the time, listed 160 varieties of ''Camellia japonica''. Associate Professor Eben Gowrie Waterhouse was a scholar, linguist, garden designer and camellia expert who brought about a worldwide revival of interest in the genus in the first half of the twentieth century. The E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Garden in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia is named after him.

Europe

According to a research conducted in 1959, by Dr. Frederick Meyer, of the United States Department of Agriculture, the camellias of Campo Bello (Portugal) are the oldest known specimens in Europe, which would have been planted around 1550, that is to say, these trees are nowadays approximately 460 years old. However it is said that the camellia was first brought to the West in 1692 by

Engelbert Kaempfer Engelbert Kaempfer (16 September 16512 November 1716) was a German natural history, naturalist, physician, exploration, explorer, and writer known for his tour of Russia, Iran, Persia, India, Southeast Asia, and Japan between 1683 and 1693. He ...

, Chief Surgeon to the Dutch East India Company. He brought details of over 30 varieties back from Asia. Camellias were introduced into Europe during the 18th century and had already been cultivated in the Orient for thousands of years. Robert James of Essex, England, is thought to have brought back the first live camellia to England in 1739. On his return from

Dejima or Deshima, in the 17th century also called , was an artificial island off Nagasaki, Japan, that served as a trading post for the Portuguese (1570–1639) and subsequently the Dutch (1641–1858). For 220 years, it was the central con ...

Carl Peter Thunberg Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Sweden, Swedish Natural history, naturalist and an Apostles of Linnaeus, "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus ...

made a short trip to London where he made the acquaintance of

Sir Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James Co ...

. Thunberg donated to Kew Botanic Gardens four specimens of ''Camellia japonica''. One of these was supposedly given in 1780 to the botanical garden of Pillnitz Castle near

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

in Germany where it currently measures in height and in diameter. Pillnitz Castle

The oldest trees of ''Camellia japonica'' in Europe can be found in Campobello (Portugal),

Caserta Caserta ( ; ) is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. An important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city, Caserta is located 36 kilometres north of Naples on the edge of the Campanian p ...

(Italy) and Pillnitz (Germany). These were probably planted at the end of the 16th century.

United States

In the U.S., camellias were first sold in 1807 as greenhouse plants, but were soon distributed to be grown outdoors in the south.Cothran, James R. ''Gardens and historic plants of the antebellum South''. South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. 2003. pages 166-167. In Charleston, South Carolina, the estate garden of Magnolia-on-the-Ashley introduced hundreds of new ''Camellia japonica'' cultivars from the 19th century onwards, and its recently restored collection has been designated an International Camellia Garden of Excellence. "Debutante", a popular variety, was originally introduced by Magnolia as "Sarah C. Hastie". The name was changed to give it more marketing appeal. Cross-breeding of camellias has produced many cultivars which are tolerant of

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

6 winters. These camellia varieties can grow in the milder parts of the lower Midwest (St. Louis, for example), Pacific Northwest, NYC area (NYC/NJ/CT), and even Ontario, Canada (near edge of the Great Lakes). It is the official state flower of the US state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Cultivars

''Camellia japonica'' is valued for its flowers, which can be single, semi-double or double flowered. There are more than 2,000

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s developed from ''C. japonica''. The shade of the flowers can vary from red to pink to white; they sometimes have multi-coloured stripes or specks. Cultivars include 'Elegans' with large pink flowers which often have white streaks, 'Giulio Nuccio' with red to pinkish petals and yellow stamens, 'Mathotiana Alba' with pure white flowers, and the light crimson semi-double-flowered 'The Czar'.Nico Vermeulen. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Container Plants'', pp. 65-66. Rebo International, Netherlands, 1998. ''C. japonica'' 'Alba Plena' is nicknamed the "Bourbon Camellia". Captain Connor of the

East Indiaman East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belonging to the Bri ...

, brought the flower to England in 1792. The flowers are pure white and about 3 to 4 inches across. It blooms earlier than most cultivated camellias, in the early winter or spring, and can flower for 4 to 5 months. The zig-zag camellia or ''C. japonica'' 'Unryu' has different zig-zag branching patterns. "Unryu" means "dragon in the clouds" in Japanese; the Japanese believe it looks like a dragon climbing up to the sky. Another type of rare camellia is called the fishtail camellia or ''C. japonica'' 'Kingyo-tsubaki'. The tips of the leaves of this plant resemble a fish's tail.

AGM cultivars

The following is a selection of cultivars that have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

: For a full list of AGM camellia cultivars, see List of Award of Garden Merit camellias

Flower form or style

Camellia flower forms are quite varied but the main types are single, semi-double, formal double, informal double and elegans (or anemone) form.

Single

Single flowers have five to a maximum of eight petals in one row, petals loose, regular or irregular. May include petaloids; prominent display of stamens & pistils. Camellia.japonica.cv.Ashiya.7166.jpg, 'Ashiya' Camellia japonica 'kamo-honnnami'.jpg, 'Kamo-honnnami' Camellia 'Sekidotaroan'1.jpg, 'Sekidotaroan' Japanese camellia red.jpg, 'Japanese camellia'

Semi-double

Two or more rows of large regular, irregular or loose outer petals (nine or more) with an uninterrupted cluster of stamens. May include petaloids; petals may overlap or be set in rows for 'hose in hose' effect. Camellia japonica 'C.M. Wilson'.JPG, 'C.M. Wilson' Camellia japonica 'The Czar'.jpg, 'The Czar' Camelia japonica Dr. Tinsley 2006-04-8 200.jpg, 'Dr. Tinsley' Camellia 'Dr Clifford Parks'.jpg, 'Dr. Clifford Parks' Camellia japonica 'Mercury Supreme'.JPG, 'Mercury Supreme' Camelia japonica 'Royal Velvet' 2006-05-03 046.jpg, 'Royal Velvet' Camelia japonica triphosa 2006-04-8 194.jpg, 'Triphosa' Camellia Japonica 'Ville De Nantes'.JPG, 'Ville De Nantes' 茶花-松子 Camellia japonica 'Songzi'（Pine Cone）20210214180451 09.jpg, 'Songzi' (Pine Cone) File:山茶蝦夷錦 Ezo-nishiki 20211230131137.jpg, 'Ezo-nishiki', two 'colors' on the same plant

Irregular semi-double

A semi-double with one or more petaloids interrupting the cluster of stamens. Camellia japonica 'Bob Hope'.jpg, 'Bob Hope' Camelia japonica 'Drama Girl' 2006-05-03 032.jpg, 'Drama Girl' Camellia japonica 'Fred Sander'.jpg, 'Fred Sander' Kamelie in Pirna 23.JPG, Unidentified cultivar

Formal double

Many rows and number of petals (sometimes more than a hundred), regularly disposed, tiered or imbricated, but no visible stamens. Usually with a central cone of tightly furled petals. Hikarugenji trevarez.jpg, 'Hikarugenji' Camellia Japonica - Black Lace.jpg, 'Black Lace' Camellia japonica 'Coquettii' 01.jpg, 'Coquettii' Camellia 'Dahlohnega'.jpg, 'Dahlohnega' Camellia 'Duchesse de Berry'.jpg, 'Duchesse de Berry' CAMELLIA japonica 'White by the Gate'.jpg, 'White by the Gate'

Elegans orm

One or more rows of large outer petals lying flat or undulating, with a mass of intermingled petaloids and stamens in the center. Also called "Anemone Form". Kamelien-Königsbrück-Rotblüte.jpg, 'Althaeiflora' Camellia japonica Bernhard Lauterbach 0503282 Kalenderkopie.jpg, 'Bernhard Lauterbach' Camellia.japonica.cv.Chandlers.Elegance.7167.jpg, 'Chandler's Elegance' Camellia japonica 'Nobilissima'.jpg, 'Nobilissima'

Informal double

A mass of raised petals with petaloids (parts of the flower that have assumed the appearance of small, narrow or twisted petals). Stamens may or may not be visible. Also called "Peony Form". Camellia japonica 'Ann Blair Brown Variegated'.JPG, 'Ann Blair Brown Variegated' Camellia.japonica.cv.Colombo.7168.jpg, 'Colombo' Frankie winn camellia.jpg, 'Frankie Winn' Camellia 'Nuccio's Jewel'.JPG, 'Nuccio's Jewel'

Cultivation

Camellias should be planted in the shade in organic, somewhat acidic, semi-moist but well drained soil. If the soil is not well drained, it can cause the roots to rot. As a ''Camellia'' species, ''C. japonica'' can be used to make tea. Its processed leaves show aromatic fragrance. It contains caffeine and catechins of the same kind as ''C. sinensis''.

Diseases

Some fungal and algal diseases include: Spot Disease, which gives the upper side of leaves a silver color and round spots, and can cause loss of leaves; Black Mold; Leaf Spot; Leaf Gall; Flower Blight, which causes flowers to become brown and fall; Root Rot; and Canker caused by the fungus '' Glomerella cingulata'', which penetrates plants through wounds. Some insects and pests of ''C. japonica'' are the Fuller Rose Beetle ''Pantomorus cervinus'', the

mealybugs Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Of the more than 2,000 described species, many are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and su ...

''Planococcus citri'' and ''Pseudococcus longispinus'', the

weevils Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small – less than in length – and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. ...

''Otiorhyncus salcatus'' and ''Otiorhyncus ovatus'', and the tea scale ''Fiorinia theae''. Some physiological diseases include salt injury which results from high levels of salt in soil;

chlorosis In botany, chlorosis is a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll. As chlorophyll is responsible for the green color of leaves, chlorotic leaves are pale, yellow, or yellow-white. The affected plant has little or no ability to ...

which is thought to be caused lack of certain elements in the soil or insufficient acidity preventing their absorption by the roots; bud drop which causes loss or decay of buds, and can be caused by over-watering, high temperatures, or pot-bound roots. Other diseases are

oedema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may inclu ...

and sunburn. Not much is known about viral diseases in ''C. japonica''. ''C. japonica'' leaves are eaten by the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

, such as the engrailed (''Ectropis crepuscularia'').

Use by humans

Camellias are used to make teas and medicinal tinctures. See the overview at Uses of Camellia .

In culture and art

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japa ...

, camellia flowers unfurling in early spring symbolise the virtue of resilience and beauty in modesty, while the whole flowers dropping off the camellia plants (''ochi tsubaki'') are likened to a beheaded

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

's head. The Furutsubaki-no-rei is a japanese

yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply ...

said to develop from old camellia trees. Camellias are seen as lucky symbols for the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

and spring and were even used as offerings to the gods during the Chinese New Year. It is also thought that Chinese women would never wear a Camellia in their hair because it opened much later after the bud formed. This was thought to signify that she would not have a son for a long time. The following is a poem written by English evangelical Protestant writer

Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna (1 October 1790 – 12 July 1846) was a popular Victorian English writer and novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Charlotte Elizabeth. She was "a woman of strong mind, powerful feeling, and of no inconsiderable share ...

in 1834:

THE WHITE CAMELLIA JAPONICA. Thou beauteous child of purity and grace, What element could yield so fair a birth? Defilement bore me — my abiding place Was mid the foul clods of polluted earth. But light looked on me from a holier sphere, To draw me heavenward — then I rose and shone; And can I vainly to thine eye appear, Thou dust-born gazer? make the type thine own. From thy dark dwelling look thou forth, and see The purer beams that brings a lovelier change for thee.

References

External links

The International Camellia Society
{{Authority control japonica Flora of Japan Flora of Korea Flora of China Garden plants of Asia Plants described in 1753 Plants used in bonsai Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus