(Maiden), (C.rusticana), Itô, Ihei, (Late 18th century), Hyakka Tsubaki Nayose Irotsuki; Pale

cherry pink, formal double, many petals arranged in order, beautiful colour, medium size.

See: Tuyama, 1968, Camellias of Japan, Appendix, p.11. Iwasaki, 1828, Honzô Zufu. This

flower has many pink petals. Kasuya, Kamegorô, 1859, Tsubaki Irohanayose Irotsuki:

Medium size, formal double, pale pink, cup-shaped, blooms mid-winter. See: JCS, 1981,

Tsubaki, No.20, p.118 & ibid. 1968, No.7, p.24. Tuyama. 1966, Camellia Cultivars of Japan,

p.174; Tuyama, 1968, Camellias of Japan, pl.104, p.52, description, p.117: Very common

garden camellia, especially in Kantô District. Leaves broadly elliptic, densely branched.

Petioles a little hairy. Flowers pink (Rose Madder 23/3), formal double, keeping a bud centre

for a considerable period. Size 6-7 cm across with about 60 petals. Flowers mid-season to

late. The name ‘Otome’ has been used in Japan for a group of small to medium sized formal

double camellias so that, to prevent ambiguity the names ‘Otome-tsubaki’ and ‘Usu-otome’

have been used as synonyms for this cultivar in Japan. It is also said that the name ‘Otome’

means ‘stop’ in Japanese, implying that it was too beautiful to sell or give away. Synonyms

include: ‘Pink Perfection’, ‘Frau Minna Seidel’, ‘Lee E. Markley’, ‘Pink Pearl’, ‘Badgen’s

Beauty’, ‘Burgdorf Beauty’, ‘Hime-otome’, ‘Momoiro-otome’, ‘Awa-otome’, ‘Virgin’. Also

the names ‘Goishi’ and ‘Otome Pink’ have been erroneously applied to this Camellia. See:

JCS., 1972, Encyclopedia of Camellias in Colour, vol.I, pl.405, pp.170, 352. Seibundô

Shinkôsha, 1979 Senchinshû, pp.29, 205 as ‘Otome-tsubaki’; Yokoyama & Kirino, 1989,

Nihon no Chinka, p.390 as ‘Otome-tsubaki’; Katei Gatô, ed., 1984, Chabana Koyomi, vol.1,

Tsubaki. Yokoyama & Kirino, 1989, Nihon no Chinka, p.390 as ‘Otome-tsubaki’; Katei Gatô,

ed., 1984, Chabana Koyomi, vol.1, Tsubaki. Amongst its awards are “The William E. Wylam

Miniature Award” for 1982 and the “National Hall of Fame Award” for 1978 as ‘Pink

Perfection’, and the ‘Award of Merit’ by the RHS, 1950 as ‘Pink Pearl’. Chinese synonyms:

‘Fenshi Shimei’, ‘Kwongtungfen’, ‘Kwangtongfen’, ‘Quangchoufen’, ‘Xiaotaohong’,

‘Yuchun’. Note; Chinese Camellia Culture 2003, p.216, and Camellias, Y.C. Shen, 2009,

p.190, state that cultivar traces back to the Ming Dynasty.

Otome. (Maiden), (C.sasanqua), Satomi, Eikichi, 1960, Sasanqua no Daihyôhinshu no Kaisetsu.

Hakoda, JCS., 1098, Tsubaki, No.26, p.49; Different reading for Otome-sazanka.

Otome-hi. Saitama Engei, 1920-1921. Synonym for ‘Beni-otome’.

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