Dr R.M. Withers & R. Spencer

Named by Linnaeus after George Joseph Kamel (1661–1706) a Moravian Jesuit who travelled in Asia in the 17th century; the name was latinised to Camellus.

Evergreen shrubs or sometimes small trees. Leaves alternate, simple, toothed, leathery; stalks short or rarely absent. Flowers bisexual, solitary or several in a cluster near the end of the previous year's growth, axillary or appearing terminal, mostly stalkless. Sepals 5 but sometimes the differentiation of bracts and sepals indistinct. Petals 5(-8-14), joined at the base, numerous in double cultivars, white to red or yellow occasionally suffused with purple. Stamens numerous in 2-6 series, free or fused into a short tube below and also joined to the petals at the base. Ovary superior with (1-)3-5 cells. Fruit capsule with 1-several brownish angular seeds.

Approaching 300 species of which at least 200 occur in S China, the remainder on the Indochina peninsula, eastern India, Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines.

The genus is now divided into 4 subgenera Protocamellia, Camellia, Thea and Metacamellia based largely on characters of the ovary and fruit. Importance is also placed on the presence or absence of a flower stalk, also features of the sepals and sepal-like bracts below the sepals. Where sepals and bracts cannot be distinguished from one-another the term 'perule' is used.

The first major revision of Camellia was that of Sealy in 1958. This contained 84 species, and was extended to about 200 with the later, less conservative revision of Chang and Bartholomew in 1984. A further 26 or so species have been added in the last decade, mostly from collections in C and S China and the total number of taxa in the genus (excluding cultivars) now stands at close to 300. Descriptions of Chang and Bartholomew are often brief where they do not differ from or extend those of Sealy.

Crosses between species of Camellia are frequent in cultivation: a list of hybrids is given in the American Camellia Yearbook 1966, pp. 113-42, 203-27.

The account of species given here has been based as far as possible on cultivated specimens with background Australian historical information from Kimber (1987) and Withers (1990). Note that species available in cultivation under particular names sometimes do not agree clearly in all characters with their botanical descriptions. After examination of specimens this seems not so much a matter of misidentification as the possibility of hybridisation or the presence of original source material representing the extreme range of variability of the species (difficulties have been noted in the text). Genuine taxonomic difficulties in species delimitation remain.

Camellias are grown largely as ornamental cultivars of C. sasanqua, C. reticulata , C. japonica and hybrids, being especially popular in warm-temperate parts of Australia and the United States where it is possible to grow kinds that are tender in Europe. There is an enormous number of cultivars: the International Camellia Register (Savige, 1993) lists over 32 000 names world-wide (although about 10 000 of these are synonyms) and over 400 have been registered in Australia. Minor differences between cultivars can make identification extremely difficult. For identification of cultivars readers are directed to the Australian Camellia Research Society or a major camellia nursery outlet.

Species are generally propagated by seed. For cultivars semi-hardwood leafy cuttings may be taken in summer and hardwood leafy cuttings in winter, and understocks may also be used for grafting clones. C. reticulata may be grafted onto seedlings of C. japonica and C. reticulata. Camellia sasanqua and C. japonica may be grafted on to C. sasanqua seedlings.

Camellia sinensis is the source of commercial tea; C. oleifera and C. sasanqua are the source of culinary and cosmetic oils.

The introduction of Camellias into Australia in the 19th century: This subject has been extensively researched by Mr Harry Churchland of the NSW Camellia Research Society and presented in a paper Camellias in Australia in Camellia News No. 108 of March 1989. The paper is based on material gathered from several sources including: Walter Hazlewood, one of the founders of the ACRS; Tom Savige, one of the Patrons of the ACRS; Elizabeth Bay House, Sydney, by courtesy of the State Planning Authority of NSW; Elizabeth Farm, Paramatta, by courtesy of the Historic Homes Trust; and lastly the Sheather Family Papers.

Two papers by Prof. Waterhouse have been published in Camellia News, An Old Camellia Nursery in Dec. 1961 (Giles Nursery in the Adelaide Hills), and Early Camellias in Victoria in Dec. 1962. Colleen and Geoff Sherrington have made lists of camellias introduced or raised by prominent growers of camellias in Australia in the 19th century in an unpublished paper 'Collection of Historic Camellias', written to assist the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Melbourne Gardens), to add to their collection of early camellias of historic interest to Australians. Each of these introductions will be briefly mentioned, together with cultivars which have survived to the present time.

Alexander Macleay 1826. The first camellias to come to Australia, according to Mr Harry Churchland, were imported from England by Alexander Macleay in 1826. Unfortunately the only survivor is possibly 'Coccinea', growing at the Giles property Norton Summit, South Australia.

Sir William Macarthur 1831. Mr Harry Churchland records that Australia's second consignment of camellias came from England on the ship Sovereign to Sir William Macarthur of Camden Park in 1831. Included in Macarthur's list are 5 cultivars that are still well known in Australia-as listed, 'Anemoniflora' ('Red Waratah'), 'Carnea of Bluff' (possibly 'Incarnata' also named 'Lady Hume's Blush'), 'Double White' (almost certainly 'Alba Plena'), 'Myrtifolia' and 'Welbankiana'.

Sir William Macarthur later raised many seedlings and in 1852 or 1853 shipped 26 cultivars to Rule's Nursery, St Kilda, Victoria. Cultivars from this collection that are still growing in Australia are: 'Aspasia Macarthur' (probably Macarthur's best known seedling), 'Dido' (growing at Giles, Norton Summit, SA), 'Donckelarii' which is quite common, 'Paeoniiflora Pallida' and 'Paeoniiflora Rubra', both sports of 'Pompone', 'Perdita' and 'Welbankiana'.

Thomas Shepherd's Catalogue 1862. It is not known when Thomas Shepherd (1780-1835) or his successors introduced camellias into the nursery he started at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney in 1827 or soon after. The nursery produced a Select List in 1862 with 5 Shepherd seedlings; of these 'Azurea', 'Chats', 'Leviathan', and 'Speciosissima' are 4 that are still grown and well known.

Silas Sheather (b. 1825, d.?). In 1852 Silas Sheather established the first nursery named Camellia Grove (the 5th of the same name was by Prof. E.G. Waterhouse at St Ives, Sydney, in 1939). The nursery was in Paramatta, just west of Sydney and Fuller's Sydney Handbook of 1877 describes 59 varieties of camellias at Sheather's. Two cultivars that are still well known and grown are 'Prince Frederick William' and 'Harriet Beecher Sheather'.

John J. Rule Consignment 1852-53. Mention has been made of 26 cultivars sent to Rule's Nursery in 1852-53. Others were sent later and Rule's Catalogue of 1862 lists 82 cultivars.

William Guilfoyle (Director, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Melbourne Gardens) 1873-1909). During his time as Director, Guilfoyle introduced many camellias to the Gardens. His Annual Report of 1875 lists 80 camellias planted between 1873 and 1875. Many of these have recently been located in the Gardens but only about 4, 'Helenor', 'Tabbs', 'Odoratissima' and 'White Waratah' ('Anemoniflora Alba') are commonly grown (see also Looker, 1986).

The Macarthur seedlings 1852. Mention has been made of cultivars being sent by Sir William Macarthur to Rule's Nursery in St Kilda, Victoria. Walter Hazlewood in Camellia News, Dec. 1974 has written a paper 'The Macarthur Family of Camden Park and the Introduction of Camellias into Australia', and Prof. Waterhouse in Camellia Quest has described Sir William Macarthur's introduction of camellias into Australia. Walter Hazlewood's article lists 120 cultivars grown by Macarthur including imported and locally raised cultivars. Among well known cultivars not previously mentioned are 'Mariana' and 'Marina'. Unfortunately many of these cultivars are now extinct.

Charles O. Giles. Charles Giles owned a camellia nursery at Norton Summit, Adelaide that was purchased in 1846, and a catalogue of 1881 contained a list of 270 cultivars. A later handwritten list in 1882 contained 173 cultivars; at least 14 of these are still commonly grown.

Later in the 19th century two other nurseries listed large numbers of cultivars. The first was Taylor and Sangster of Toorak and Mt Macedon in Victoria whose catalogue in 1889 had a large camellia section. The second was Edwin Smith's Clifton Nursery at Walkerville in Adelaide, South Australia whose catalogue of 1893-94 contains a large list of camellia cultivars.

20th Century: As with other garden plants, camellias have had periods of popularity. At the end of the 19th and early 20th century they were not grown in large numbers; their value as garden plants became appreciated again in the 1930s and 40s. In Victoria in 1941 C.A. Nobelius and Sons Pty Ltd of Gembrook Nurseries, Emerald, had 92 cultivars in their catalogue.

In 1945 Hazlewood Bros Pty Ltd of Epping, New South Wales, listed 206 cultivars in their catalogue.

In 1856 Carl Friedrich Newman founded Newman's Nursery at Water Gully in South Australia and the catalogue of 1894/98 listed many cultivars. After Newman's death at about the turn of the century two of his sons moved to Western Australia and started Newman's Nursery: Newman's Nursery in South Australia closed prior to World War II. Frederich Charles Newman had been manager of the nursery and after the War his daughter Suzanne Newman married Roger Hall. They were both very fond of camellias and the number of different kinds of camellias increased with demand in Newman's Nursery at Tee Tree Gully.

In Sydney, New South Wales, Prof. Waterhouse, another co-founder of the ACRS, had established the 5th Camellia Grove Nursery in 1939 at St Ives, initially at Pittwater Road, later Mona Vale Road.

In Victoria Camellia Lodge Nursery of 15 Bakers Road, Dandenong North was established in 1946 and has grown an extensive range of camellia cultivars since that time. Dr Merrillees, a co-founder of the Australian Camellia Research Society, started a small nursery called Shere at 311 Carlisle Street, St Kilda and his small catalogue of 1950 listed 44 cultivars. In Tasmania there is Chandlers Nursery, 75 Queen Street, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7005.

Cultivars: It is not possible to describe here all the cultivars that are commercially available in south-eastern Australia. Anyone interested in obtaining descriptions should consult Tom Savige's excellent 2-volume The International Camellia Register (1993) with two supplements. Descriptions here are modified from this source.

The cultivars listed here are recommended by experienced growers as being good garden plants which also produce quality blooms. Many of them have double flowers, the result of stamens becoming petal-like.

Commonly grown camellias differ in their flowering periods-the following periods may be used as a rough guide:

• Species — Feb. — Oct. with a peak in July.
• C. sasanqua — Mar. - mid July
• C. japonica — Apr. - Oct. with a peak in July/Aug.
• C. reticulata — July onwards

Up to December 1993 there were 430 Australian registered camellia cultivars of which about 130 remain in cultivation, presented here in alphabetical order: (H = hybrid, J = C. japonica, R = C. reticulata, S = C. sasanqua).

'Ace High' (J), 'Ada Sebire' (R), 'Adelina Sargent' (J), 'Adorable' (H), 'Alaskan Queen' (R), 'Alison Sebire' (R), 'Alpen Glo' (H), 'Andrea Sebire' (J), 'Anne Hazlewood' (J), 'Annette Carol' (H), 'Autumn Gold' (S), 'Barbara Anne' (H), 'Bert Jones' (S), 'Beryl's Choice' (R), 'Bicentenary Joy' (J), 'Birthday Girl' (J), 'Blondy' (H), 'Bogong Snow' (H), 'Bright Beauty' (R), 'Camelot' (R), 'Can Can' (J), 'Carolyn Louise' (H), 'Charles A. Newman' (J), 'Cherilyn' (S), 'Corinne Sebire' (R), 'Courtesan' (J), 'Crinkles' (H), 'Crinoline' (R), 'Dolly Dyer' (J), 'Donna Rita' (H), 'Doris Hirst' (J), 'E. G. Waterhouse' (H), 'Edna Butler' (S), 'Eileen Sebire' (R), 'Elizabeth Astles' (R), 'Ellie Rubensohn' (R), 'Emily J. Box' (R), 'Emma Grace' (J), 'Erica McMinn' (J), 'Eryldene Excelsis' (R), 'Esme Hinton' (J), 'Fairy Bouquet' (H), 'Fiona Capp' (J), 'Flower Boy' (H), 'Gay Pixie' (H), 'Geoff Hamilton' (J), 'Gwen Pike' (S), 'Gypsy Rose' (J), 'Hari Withers' (H), 'Henry J. Henty' (J), 'Hilda Jamieson' (J), 'Ida Cossom' (R), 'Jan's Chance' (J), 'Jeanette Cousins' (J), 'Jennifer Susan' (S), 'John Hunt' (R), 'Joyce Adele Brookes' (R), 'Just Sue' (J), 'Keith Ballard' (R), 'La Petite' (R), 'Lady Cutler' (H), 'Lady Winneke' (J), 'Laurie Bray' (J), 'Len Bray' (H), 'Lollypop' (H), 'Lovely Lady' (R), 'Lucinda' (S), 'Maise Chettle' (R), 'Mandy' (H), 'Margaret Davis' (J), 'Margaret Waterhouse' (H), 'Marie Young' (S), 'May Westbrook' (R), 'Merrillees' (J), Michael Spry' (J), 'Mignonne' (S), 'Moonbeam' (H), 'Muriel Tuckfield' (H), 'Nicole' (J), 'Our Melissa' (H), 'Our Selection' (R), 'Overture' (R), 'Pale Opal' (H), 'Pavlova' (R), 'Peerless' (S), 'Pink Cameo' (H), 'Pink Ruffles' (H), 'Polar Bear' (J), 'Rebecca Wilson' (J), 'Red Willow' (S), 'Rhonda Elizabeth' (H), 'Rita Thornton' (R), 'Robin Rise' (H), 'Robyn McMinn' (H), 'Roger Hall' (J), 'Rosabelle' (H), 'Rose Anne' (S), 'Samantha' (R), 'Simpatica' (R), 'Sir Eric Pearce' (R), 'Snow Drop' (H), 'Soft Glow' (R), 'Spink' (H), 'Springtime' (R), 'Sprite' (H), 'Suzanne Withers' (R), 'Sweet Emily Kate' (H), Sweet Jane' (H), 'Tamie Fraser' (J), 'Tiptoe' (H), 'Tony Hunt' (R), 'Turkish Delight' (H), 'Vale Beauty' (J), 'Vale Mist' (S), 'Vale Princess' (S), 'Vi Henderson' (R), 'Violet Weymouth' (S), 'Waldon's Folly' (H), 'Walter Hazlewood' (J), 'Wandin Sebire' (R), 'Westfield' (R), 'Winifred Sebire' (R), 'Winter's Own' (R), 'Wirlinga Belle' (H), 'Wirlinga Bride' (H), 'Wirlinga Cascade' (H), 'Wirlinga Gem' (H), 'Wirlinga Princess' (H), 'Yirgella' (J)

The classification of Camellia flowers for shows, exhibitions and Camellia nursery catalogues: Camellias may be exhibited according to three classifications: (1) botanical classification; (2) flower form or shape; (3) flower size.

1. Traditionally camellias are divided for show into 5 botanical groups.

• Camellia sasanqua (including C. hiemalis and C. vernalis) cultivars.
• Camellia japonica cultivars.
• Camellia reticulata cultivars and C. reticulata hybrid cultivars.
• Hybrids and cultivars that do not contain C. reticulata in their parentage.
• Other camellia species.

2. Flower form has been divided into 5 groups.

• Single flowers which contain up to 9 petals with a clear central cluster of stamens, with or without petaloids (petal-like stamens) e.g. 'Spencer's Pink'.
• Semi-double flowers with 2 or more rows of petals, a clear central cluster of stamens and, if there are petaloids, they must not break the ring of stamens e.g. 'The Czar'. 
• Formal double flowers with numerous rows of petals, fully im-bricated or tiered, preferably with a bud centre and never showing stamens e.g. 'Nuccio's Gem', 'C.M. Hovey', or 'Alba Plena'.
• Elegans form. Flowers with 1 or more flat rows of petals, un-broken, on which sits a loose but distinct centre of petal-like sta- mens within which are perhaps a few visible stamens but no petals e.g. 'Elegans', 'Elegans Splendor'.
• Informal double flowers are those which are not one of the above forms. There may or may not be an outer ring of guard petals, but the centre of the flower is made up of an admixture of petals with or without petaloids e.g. 'Easter Morn', 'Debutante'.
• Higo. Single blooms that open almost flat, with strong stamen centre.

3. Flower size has been divided into 6 classes.

• In a miniature flower the diameter must not exceed 60 mm. The bloom must not be an immature specimen of a naturally larger cultivar.
• In a small flower the diameter must be more than 60 mm, but not exceed 80 mm. The blooms must not be immature specimens of a naturally larger cultivar.
• All hybrids up to 80 mm diameter including C. reticulata hybrids.
• Hybrids over 80 mm diameter without C. reticulata in the parentage.
• Camellia reticulata and C. reticulata hybrids 80-130 mm diameter.
• Camellia reticulata and C. reticulata hybrids over 130 mm diameter.

In recent years many small cluster type hybrids have been raised so that a further class has been introduced for these. It consists of 1 stem of a small-flowered hybrid and several blooms or buds may be included on the stem. The maximum height of the stem must not be more than 15 cm above the top of the container.

Collections and gardens: NSW: Eryldene, at Gordon, the home and garden of the late Prof. E.G. Waterhouse, co-founder of the Australian Camellia Research Society; the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Garden, President Avenue, Carringbah, at the corner of Kareena Road overlooking Yowie Bay; Shoalhaven Camellia Garden, Shoalhaven. Camellia section in the Illawarra Rhododendron Garden, Mount Pleasant; Wagga Wagga Camellia Garden, Wagga Wagga. VIC: The holder of the Ornamental Plant Collections Association Inc. collection of camellia species is Dr R.M. Withers, 'Zante', 23 Melissa St, Donvale, Victoria 3111 (the collection contained 45 species in 1990) and for camellia cultivars (over 1500) Mr Ken Brown, Kenbaranne Nsy, 7 Huggins Rd, Mitcham, Victoria 3132. Other sites include the Camellia Garden at the National Rhododendron Garden, Olinda. The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Melbourne Gardens) has an extensive collection of camellias that was initiated in 1875. The Geelong Botanic Gardens also has a camellia collection. SA: Mt Lofty Botanic Garden in the Adelaide Hills at Aldgate. The Adelaide Hills Branch of the Australian Camellia Research Society has developed an excellent Camellia Garden at Stangate House and Gardens in the Adelaide Hills. TAS: The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens has a good collection of modern cultivars.

Species: Sealy (1958), Chang & Bartholomew (1984), Kimber (1987). Hybrids: Crosses between species have been a feature of camellia cultivation. A list of hybrids is given in the American Camellia Year Book, 1966, pp.113-42 & 203-27. Cultivars: Macoboy (1981), Looker (1986). The International Camellia Register (International Camellia Society. 2 Vols. Intl Camellia Soc. 1993-the definitive listing). General: Savige (1967), Treseder & Hyams (1975), Feathers & Brown (1978), Trehane (1980), Durrant (1982), Longhurst & Savige (1982), Withers (1990). Journals: Camellia News, produced by the Australian Camellia Research Society; International Camellia Journal, produced by the International Camellia Society; Rhododendrons with Camellias and Magnolias, produced by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Source: Withers, R.M.; Spencer, R. (1997). Camellia. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.