Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze

Camellia species are evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate or rarely subopposite, lanceolate-ovate to oblanceolate-oblong, base acute to obtuse, margins serrate, rarely entire, apex acute to acuminate, coriaceous, membranous to leathery, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, petiolate, sessile or amplexicaul, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or fascicled. Flowers bisexual, pedicel short or sessile, bracteoles persistent or caducous, sepals 5-6, imbricate, unequal, base connate, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, petals 5-8, imbricate, red, yellow, base shortly connate, stamens numerous, in 2-6 partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, 5-12 towards the centre free, base adnate to petals, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 3-5 locular, axile placentation, ovules 3-5 in each locule, style 3-5, base free or partially connate. Fruit capsule, globose, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion or sometimes more, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid or angular, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Shrub/ Tree

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Tree Distribution notes: Exotic

Flowering and fruiting: June-January

Camellia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: June—January.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Evergreen small trees or shrubs, about 1-6 m tall, bark grayish brown, branchlets slender, glabrous and purplish. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic-oblong to obovate-oblong, about 4-16 x 1.5-6.5 cm across, base cuneate, margins sinuate-serrate to serrulate, apex abruptly acute, coriaceous, shining, green glabrous above and paler hairy, latter glabrescent beneath, midrib slightly prominent above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 6-9, faint on either side of the midrib, veinlets faintly reticulate, petiole about 2-7 mm long. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or 2-6 flowered in fascicles. Flowers bisexual, white, about 2.3-3.5 cm across, pedicel slender, about 6-10 mm long, bracteoles 2-3, ovate, apex obtuse, velutinous or glabrous, caducous, about 2 mm long, sepals 5-6, imbricate, unequal, ovate-orbicular, base connate, glabrous inside, velutinous outside, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, about 3-6 x 2-3 mm across, petals 7-8, imbricate, white, broadly ovate-obovate, concave, glabrous inside, velutinous towards the apex outside, about 10-16 x 6-20 mm across, stamens numerous, partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, towards the centre free, outer ones connate till middle, villous, base adnate to petals, about 8-10 mm long, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, yellow, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 1 locular, densely villous with white hairs, about 2-5 mm long, axile placentation, ovules 1-3 in each locule, style 3-fid, about 5-7 mm long. Fruit capsule, subglobose-ellipsoid, about 1-1.5 x 1.5-2.5 cm across, woody, usually 3 loculed, with persistent central axis. Seeds 3, globose-oblate, about 1-1.5 cm across, reddish brown or brown, glabrous, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Camellia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats, Cultivated, , Native of China

Widely cultivated in mountain slopes, altitude up to 2200 m.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests, thickets

Raised in plantations

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used as a beverage and widely cultivated, used in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Sidha, folk and modern medicines.

Medicinal