Camellia

Camellia, genus of about 250 species of East Asian evergreen shrubs and trees belonging to the tea family (Theaceae), most notable for a few ornamental flowering species and for Camellia sinensis (sometimes called Thea sinensis), the source of tea.

The common camellia (C. japonica) is well known, particularly for its double (many-petaled) cultivated varieties, whose overlapping petals range in colour from white through pink to red and variegated. In the wild form, five to seven petals surround a mass of yellow stamens, with sepals dropping as the petals open. The tree has glossy green oval leaves, usually about 10 cm (4 inches) long, and reaches a height of about 9 metres (30 feet).

A similar but shorter species, C. reticulata, has flowers up to 15 cm (6 inches) wide and dull green leaves. C. sasanqua, a loose straggling shrub with slightly fragrant flowers that are 5 cm (2 inches) wide, can tolerate dryness and alkaline soils. It blooms in autumn and frequently is grown as a wall or hedge plant.

The tea plant (C. sinensis) reaches 9 metres (30 feet) but in cultivation is kept to a low mounded shrub, often pruned back to encourage development of young leaves. The flowers are fragrant, yellow-centred, white, and about 4 cm (1.6 inches) wide. See also tea.