* Camellias in Galicia *
Camellias are
native to China, Japan, Indo-China and the various islands neighbouring
these countries.
During the Ming Dynasty camellias were honoured as the " most beautiful
flower under the heavens ".
For centuries in Japan camellias have been an integral part of everyday
life.
Tsu-ba-ki is the Japanese name of the " Camellia japonica " and
sa-za-n-ka´s of the " Camellia sasanqua ". These two species
are the origin of a lot of varieties and colours of camellias known in Europe
today.
The name " camellia " was established for the swedish botanist
Charles Linnaeaus in recognition of the work of George Josef Kamel. This
jesuit botanist worked during years in Phillipines Islands. He died in Manila
the year before Linnaeaus´s birth. His documents were published by
Ray and Petiner using his latin name " Camellus ".
Eventhought, apparently, the camellias were brought to Europe from the Far
East by Jesuit missionaries and by the Portuguese, Dutch and English traders.
In the Iberian Peninsula they have been known since the XVIII century, probably
since XVI or XVII in Portugal where there are some very old camellias still
flourishing. In Galicia they begin to be recognized and mentioned in books
or catalogues from the XIX century.
It´s difficult to verify
where the first camellias originated thet came to Galicia, but old plants
can be found adorning some Pazos (galician
mansion) gardens such as Figueroa, Torre da Lama, Sta.
Cruz de Rivadulla or Oca, where a beautiful "camellia reticulata" specimen is found with a height of 15 meters and is considered one of the
oldest european camellias. Probably they were brought to Galicia from other
european countries, and even other spanish regions, since there is written
evidence that in a Valencia gardening shop, in the middle of the XIX, offered
this kinds of plants.
At Rías Bajas they probably arrived from Portugal, most likely from
the gardening shop founded by Jose Marques de Loureiro on 1849.
There aren´t many references of Galician camellias by Galician authors
such as Rosalía de Castro, Eduardo Pondal or Curros Enríquez.
Pardo Bazan and more recently Cunqueiro, Ruibal and Lorca have some references
to these flowers.
The family of camellias have about two hundred species of the which two
dominate today´s varieties : "camellia reticulata" and "camellia
japonica" mother of a lot of the types nowadays. In Galicia the "camellia
japonica" abounds, and somewhat less the "camellia sansaqua"
and "camellia reticulata". All of them are either tree or shrub
types with perenne leaves, having a glossy opposite side. The "camellia
saluenensis" and the "camellia oleifera" and others species
that are important for forming hybrid camellias aren´t well known
in Galicia.
Only fifty types of camellias have any fragancy, being so delicate in some
that the smell must be sensed with special attention.
" Camellia sinensis " has small flowers
and soft leaves, and in many countries it´s leaves are cultivated
for tea . One chinesse manuscript mentions the use of "kutu" (tea)
as medicine during the Shang dinasty ( 2.700 b.c.)
Camellia japonica is a tree that can grow about 8 meters and has odourless
flowers. Some gardeners have been able to change stamens into petals creating
very beautiful flowers. The specimens without stamens do not produce seeds
while the "simple" known in Galicia as "brave" is able
to produce some capsules when ripening and emit seeds.
According the number and position of the petals, the flowers are clasified
as, single,
semidouble,
anemone,
peonia, rose
form , and double,
being the last one being the most popular kind, event hought all the types
have beautiful flowers.
"Camellia sansaqua" is smaller than the "camellia japonica"
has small leaves, simple and fragant flowers, and they start to blossom
during the Autumn. The etimologic of the word "sansaqua" is consider
to be a phonic variation of the chinese words that mean "Manta Tea
Flower", used from the old times for fragant tea.
"Camellia reticulata" is smaller than the "japonica" and has beautiful large flowers and waved petals.
Camellia plants require moist soil, good drainage no direct sunlight, and
temperatures not too cold or warm, all of these conditions exist in Galicia,
specially in the Rías Bajas. Nowadays these plants are well known
in Galicia and very popular, and every year in Vigo, Vilagarcía de
Arousa or Pontevedra there is an International
Camellia Exposition, where the differents kinds of camellias plants
are exhibited.
I try to show camellias in these pictures as I have see them, but the colour
of the flower can change according the soil composition, plant position,
sun or shade, quality of the photographic equipment, etc....
I hope with these pages to demonstrate some of the beauty of these flowers.
" Camellias in Galicia " shows the camellia photographs taken in different parts
of Galicia
NOTE: Under no circunstances may any of these images be used without the permission of the owner.
© José C. García, 1999-2008