Camellias

Camellia sasanqua
Distribution: Southern Japan (southern Skikoku, Kyushu) and islands south of these.
Flowers: simple, single, small 5-7cm across, 6 to 8 petals that are usually white (occasionally rose-pink in cultivation),existing as strong individuals to the base, deeply notched at their tips; with bright yellow-anthered stamens which may remain several days after the petals drop.
Early autumn to mid Spring.
Leaves: thin in the wild, short-stalked, small , elliptic, with acute apices and toothed margins; 6-7.5cm long and 3cm wide in cultivation.
Seeds: small, round, 1.5-1.8cm in diameter, with one to 3 chambers, each containing 1-2 seeds with a high percentage of oil. In Japan the oil was widely used for cooking, as a hair oil, in paints. Now the oil is only used in specialist restaurants for traditional Japanese dishes and for sale to tourists.
The nectar produces a characteristic smell which attracts wasps and other insects which explains why sasanquas produce fruit and seeds so easily.