Stuartia
(named in honour of John Stuart, Lord Bute, 1713-1792, a zealous patron of botany). Spelt Stewarlia by a few authors. Including Malachodendron. ORD. Ternstromiaceae. A genus comprising only three species of beautiful, hardy shrubs; two of which are North American and the third Japanese. Flowers large or mediocre, solitary in the axils, shortly pedunculate; sepals and petals five, rarely six, the latter imbricated and cohering towards the base; stamens numerous. Leaves membranous, deciduous. The species given below merit a place in e ery collection of ornamental shrubs. Although sufficiently hardy to bear our winters in the open air, yet the young shoots often become injured by very severe weather, the summer not being long enough to thoroughly ripen the wood or bring the flowers to perfection; it is therefore advisable to keep the plants in the conservatory or cool greenhouse, except in favoured spots in the South of England, &c. Peat soil, mixed with a little loam, is the most suitable compost. Propagation may be readily effected by layering; or by means of ripened cuttings, inserted in sand, under a hand glass. S. grandiflora (large-flowered). A synonym of S. pscudo-camellia. S. pentagyna (five-styled).* fl. cream-coloured, and, as well as the leaves, rather larger than in S. virginica; sepals and petals five or six, the latter obovate, with jagged edges; stamens longer than in S. virginica. May to July. l. oval, acute. h. 10ft. North America, 1785. (B. M. 3918.) SYN. Malachodendron ovatum (B. R. 1104).
S. pseudo-camellia (false Camellia). fl. creamy-white; sepals dull reddish-brown above, finely serrulate. Summer. l. oval-elliptic, shortly toothed, acuminate, narrowed at the base into the reddish petiole. Branches erect, flexuose. h. 12ft. Japan. SYN. S. grandiflora (R. H. 1879, 430). S. virginica (Virginian).* fl. white; sepals ovate; petals five, round-obovate, 1in. long. April and May. l. oblong-ovate, serrulated, softly downy beneath. h. 8ft. North America, 1743. (G. C. ser. ii., viii. 433; A. B. R. 73, under name of S. marylandica.)