(Black Camellia), (C.japonica), Mizumo, 1829, Sômoku Kinyôshû in the section for

unusual leaves. Double as for the red ‘Irokuroki’ like the ‘Mokurenbana’, meaning dark red

flower. Kasuya, Kamegorô, 1859, Tsubaki Irohanayose Irotsuki; Tokyo Nursery Catalogue,

1896 and the Nihon Shokubutsu Kaisha Ltd. Nursery catalogue, 1912-1913: “Black-red with

a purple shade” and Chûgai Nursery Catalogue, 1934-1935 describes it as a “brilliant, black,

double flower”. For modern colour photos see: Fendig, 1953, American Camellia Catalogue.

colour pl.; Adachi, 1960, Camellia, Its Appreciation and Artistic..., p.198; Tuyama, 1966,

Camellia Cultivars of Japan, pl.132; Tuyama, 1968, Camellias of Japan, pl.274; Andoh,

1971, Tsubaki, Meika no Shôkai to Saibai, pl.2: Encyclopedia of Camellias in Colour, vol.I,

1973, pl.155; Seibundô Shinkôsha, 1979, Senchinshû, p.48; Macoboy, 1981, The Colour

Dictionary of Camellias, p.98. Leaves dull green, lanceolate elliptic to elliptic, finely serrate,

petioles glabrous, nigrescent, buds nigrescent. Flowers semi-double to open peony with

narrow petals and irregular stamens, dark red. (Currant red 821/1). Flowers late season.

Young shoots and roots show dark purplish colour. Synonyms: ‘Black Prince’, ‘Black Jap’,

‘Purpurea’, ‘Old Port’, ‘Black Camellia’. Originated in Kantô area, Japan. Corruption of the

Japanese name: ‘Kuru-subaki’, ‘Kuto-tsubaki’ ‘Kuro-subaki’, ‘Kuru Tsubaki’. Chinese

synonym ‘Heichun’.