Dobreei

van Houtte Catalogue, 1843-1844, 18:10: Brilliant poppy, best anemome form known. Berlèse, 1849, Annales de la Société Central d’Horticulture de France, vol.40, p.313 as ‘Dobrei’: Flower, 9-10 cm across, anemone form, similar to ‘Princess Royale’ of Low; of a poppy orange red, similar to ‘Governativa’ of Mariani. Petals in 3-4 rows, round-­oval, close set, regularly imbricated, a little lined and notched at the apex; those in the cen­tre, are small, innumerable, short, sometimes petaloids, and forming a broad, flat, uniform centre. Orthographic errors: ‘Dobreyi’, ‘Dobrei’, ‘Dobreii’, ‘Dobrii’, ‘Dombreyi’, ‘Dobrey’. The description of the modern cultivar under this name, which appears to be the same, is as follows: Puddle and Hanger, 1961, RHS., The Rhododendron and Camellia Yearbook, No.15, p.113: Bloom, semi-double with rotund petals, 5 cm x 4.5 cm wide rounded, 10-12 outer petals, recurved, inner petals narrower, mixed with petaloids to form a twisted mass in the centre of the flower. Stamens in groups of about 12, many petaloids; 9-10 cm across. Colour carmine (HCC.21 /1). Foliage broadly-elliptic or obovate,9 cm x 4.5 cm, serrate, short acuminate, glossy, mid-green. In commerce it has been confused with Latifolia and Emperor of Russia, which are different cultivars and both Overlook Nursery and McIlhenny erroneously equated it with Campbellii. It is believed to have been named for a Mr Dobree of Guernsey, Channel Isles, who exhibited camellias about 1845.