Representations of this flower are frequently met with in Chinese paintings.
With us, the Camellia is generally treated as a stove plant, and propagated by layers; it is sometimes placed in the greenhouse; but it appears to us to be one of the properest plants imaginable for the conservatory. At some future time it may, perhaps, not be uncommon to treat it as a Laurustinus or Magnolia: the high price at which it has hitherto been sold, may have prevented its being hazarded in this way.
The blossoms are of a firm texture, but apt to fall off long before they have lost their brilliancy; it therefore is a practice with some to stick such deciduous blossoms on some fresh bud, where they continue to look well for a considerable time.
Petiver considered our plant as a species of Tea tree; future observations will probably confirm his conjecture.
