Camellia
- For other uses, see Camellia (disambiguation).
? Camellia | ||||||||||||
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| Camellia sasanqua (cultivated) | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||
| About 100-250, including: Camellia assimilis Camellia brevistyla Camellia caudata Camellia chekiangoleosa Camellia chrysantha - Golden Camellia Camellia connata Camellia crapnelliana Camellia cuspidata Camellia euryoides Camellia forrestii Camellia fraterna Camellia furfuracea Camellia granthamiana Camellia grijsii Camellia honkongensis Camellia irrawadiensis Camellia japonica - Japanese Camellia Camellia kissii Camellia lutchuensis Camellia miyagii Camellia nokoensis Camellia oleifera Camellia parviflora Camellia pitardii Camellia polyodonta Camellia reticulata Camellia rosiflora Camellia rusticana - Snow Camellia Camellia salicifolia Camellia saluenensis Camellia sasanqua Camellia semiserrata Camellia sinensis - Tea Camellia taliensis Camellia transnokoensis Camellia tsaii Camellia vietnamensis Camellia yunnanensis |
Camellia is a Genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, native to eastern and southern Asia from the Himalaya east to Japan and Indonesia. Different botanists vary in the number of species considered distinct, with anything from 100-250 species being accepted.
They are Evergreen shrubs and small trees from 2-20 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, usually glossy, and 3-17 cm long. The flowers are large and conspicuous, 1-12 cm diameter, with (in natural conditions) 5-9 petals; colour varies from white to pink and red, and yellow in a few species. The Fruit is a dry capsule subdivided into 1-5 compartments, each containing 1-8 seeds.
The genus is generally adapted to acidic soils, and does not grow well on Chalk or other Calcium-rich soils. Most species also have a high rainfall requirement and will not tolerate Drought.
Camellia is used as a food plant by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species including Common Emerald, The Engrailed, Turnip Moth and Willow Beauty as well as members of the genus Endoclita including E. malabaricus, E. punctimargo, E. purpurescens and E. sericeus.
Cultivation and uses
Camellia sinensis is of major commercial importance because tea is made from its leaves. Tea oil is a sweet seasoning and cooking oil made by pressing the seeds of Camellia sinensis or Camellia oleifera.Many other camellias are grown as ornamental plants for their flowers; about 3,000 cultivars and hybrids have been selected, many with double flowers, as in the photo left. Camellia japonica (often simply called Camellia) is the most prominent species in cultivation, with over 2,000 named cultivars; next are C. reticulata, with over 400 named cultivars, and C. sasquana, with over 300 named cultivars. Popular hybrids include C. × hiemalis (C. japonica × C. sasquana) and C. × williamsii (C. japonica × C. salouenensis). They are highly valued in Japan and elsewhere for their very early flowering, often among the first flowers to appear in the late winter. Late frosts can damage the flowers.
Camellia japonica is the state flower of Alabama.
See also
- Tsubaki is Japanese for camellia