Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Camellia \Ca*mel"li*a\, n. [NL.; -- named after Kamel, a Jesuit
   who is said to have brought it from the East.] (Bot.)
   An Asiatic genus of small shrubs, often with shining leaves
   and showy flowers. {Camellia Japonica} is much cultivated for
   ornament, and {C. Sassanqua} and {C. oleifera} are grown in
   China for the oil which is pressed from their seeds. The tea
   plant is now referred to this genus under the name of
   {Camellia Thea}.