Scientific Name: Camellia sinensis
Common Name: Camellia Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Angiosperm Natural Habitat: They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. Leaf Pattern: Alternate, simple, evergreen, elliptical to ovate, 2 to 5 inches long, pointy tip, finely but sharply serrated, leathery, dark shiny green above, green below. Germination Process: It is the tropical evergreen plant from which we get tea. Native to China and India, camellia sinensis thrives in warm, humid environments at higher elevations. Camellia sinsensis is challenging to grow from seed so it is usually propagated with cuttings. After germination, it lasts about four to 20 years for the first flower to grow. Animals and Plants in Area: Squirrels and birds feast upon camellia seeds. Deer eat both young and mature camellias, but rabbits concentrate their nibbling on the young, tender plants. Bark: Smooth light brown to gray-brown. Size: Large multi-branched shrub up to 15 feet. Human Use: Camellia trees are quite unique because they are considered to be the tea plant, which is a major commercial importance since tea is made from its leaves. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, and black tea are all harvested from these species; however, they are all processed in a different way to attain different levels of oxidation. While this Camellia tree makes finest teas due to the millennia of selective breeding of these species, other camellias can produce a similar beverage. In some parts of Japan, tea that is made from Camellia leaves which are extremely popular. These leaves are used in traditional Chinese medicines to cure asthma and coronary artery diseases, which make it highly valuable. Camellia is also used as oil which is used to clean and protect the blades of cutting instruments. Therefore, there are two main types of camellia oil; Camellia oleifera oil, which is used for cooking and to make soaps, and Camellia japonica oil, which is used for skin and hair products. Summarize Research: Camellia, belonging to the family Theaceae, is economically an important group in flowering plants. The DNA content is used to measure genome size variation and has extensively advanced our understanding of plant evolution and genome variation. Camellia has generated attention to its economic values, geographic distribution and species diversity. The main economic value of Camellia is the production of tea made from its young leaves. It has also been primarily used for cooking oil gathered from its seeds. (Huang, H., Tong, Y., Zhang, Q., & Gao, L.) The division of Camellia, consisting of more than 200 species, is not only distinguished for its ornamental flowers, beverages, and plant oils, but for its genetic significance. Camellia plants are great for studying the evolution of the species, interspecific hybridization, and many more fundamental life science questions. Camellia tea leaves dock more than 700 chemical compounds that have been found to promote human health. Therefore, Camellia plants are some of the most desirable plants for agriculture, horticulture, and scientific research. More than 40 countries produce tea for commercial purposes, making the annual value of the tea industry in China more that $5 billion. (Yang, J., Yang, S., Li, H., Yang, J., & Li, D.) |
Camellia, #6
Leaves and Flowers of Camellia
Bark of Camellia
Leaf of Camellia
Seed of Camellia
Fruit of Camellia
Surroundings of Camellia
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Since Camellia plants are grown for many different reasons, they are currently found all over the world. These plants have been able to grab attention from scientists because of their value in commercial, social, and scientific fields.
Some lack of standard definitions of leaf characteristics has much confusion while interpreting the value of resulting classifications. Taxonomical classification of Camellia was based on a more comprehensive description of leaf architecture, which is required. Leaf architecture refers to the placement and form of various elements that make up the outward expression of leaf structure, including the leaf shape, and leaf size. It has been the subject to several studies to try to solve taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. (Hongfei, L., Wu, J., Ghiassi, M. M., Sean, L., & Nitin, M.)
Creative Essay:
“The Capsule”
Shaped like a capsule that contains 1-8 seeds
Producing blooms that are growing bigger day by day during springtime
Having leaves of deep green color, glossy and thick
Branches growing in an upward position
Growing white, red, or pink flowers that have a scent
Staying in shady areas leads to its happiness
Living in cooler temperatures, below ten degrees
Making the charm of this tree youthful
References from Current Research:
Huang, H., Tong, Y., Zhang, Q., & Gao, L. (2013). Genome Size Variation among and within Camellia Species by Using Flow Cytometric Analysis. Plos ONE, 8(5), 1-14. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064981
Yang, J., Yang, S., Li, H., Yang, J., & Li, D. (2013). Comparative Chloroplast Genomes of Camellia Species. Plos ONE, 8(8), 1. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073053
Hongfei, L., Wu, J., Ghiassi, M. M., Sean, L., & Nitin, M. (2012). Classification of Camellia (Theaceae) Species Using Leaf Architecture Variations and Pattern Recognition Techniques. Plos ONE, 7(1), 1-18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029704
Some lack of standard definitions of leaf characteristics has much confusion while interpreting the value of resulting classifications. Taxonomical classification of Camellia was based on a more comprehensive description of leaf architecture, which is required. Leaf architecture refers to the placement and form of various elements that make up the outward expression of leaf structure, including the leaf shape, and leaf size. It has been the subject to several studies to try to solve taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. (Hongfei, L., Wu, J., Ghiassi, M. M., Sean, L., & Nitin, M.)
Creative Essay:
“The Capsule”
Shaped like a capsule that contains 1-8 seeds
Producing blooms that are growing bigger day by day during springtime
Having leaves of deep green color, glossy and thick
Branches growing in an upward position
Growing white, red, or pink flowers that have a scent
Staying in shady areas leads to its happiness
Living in cooler temperatures, below ten degrees
Making the charm of this tree youthful
References from Current Research:
Huang, H., Tong, Y., Zhang, Q., & Gao, L. (2013). Genome Size Variation among and within Camellia Species by Using Flow Cytometric Analysis. Plos ONE, 8(5), 1-14. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064981
Yang, J., Yang, S., Li, H., Yang, J., & Li, D. (2013). Comparative Chloroplast Genomes of Camellia Species. Plos ONE, 8(8), 1. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073053
Hongfei, L., Wu, J., Ghiassi, M. M., Sean, L., & Nitin, M. (2012). Classification of Camellia (Theaceae) Species Using Leaf Architecture Variations and Pattern Recognition Techniques. Plos ONE, 7(1), 1-18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029704