Camellias frequently exhibit the phenomenon that some people call "jumping genes".  Sports abound for cultivars such as 'Elegans' -- think of 'Elegans Champagne' and 'Hawaii', and 'Lady Vansittart', with 'Lady Vansittart Red' and 'Yours Truly'.  But bicoloured blooms  are less frequent, so all the more delightful when they arise in the garden.

This C.japonica cultivar, imported into England from Japan in 1888, was named for one of the original prima donnas, Adelina Patti, the soprano who graced the opera stage around the world in the late 19th Century.  One of her favorite roles was Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata", based on Dumas' novel, "Lady of the Camellias."