Camellia reticulata

Camellia reticulata
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Camellia
Species: C. reticulata
Binomial name
Camellia reticulata
Lindl.
Synonyms[1]
  • Camellia albescens H.T.Chang
  • Camellia albosericea H.T.Chang
  • Camellia bailinshanica H.T.Chang, H.S.Liu & G.X.Xiang
  • Camellia bambusifolia H.T.Chang, H.S.Liu & Y.Z.Zhang
  • Camellia borealiyunnanica H.T.Chang
  • Camellia brevicolumna H.T.Chang, H.S.Liu & Y.Z.Zhang
  • Camellia brevigyna H.T.Chang
  • Camellia brevipetiolata H.T.Chang
  • Camellia chunii H.T.Chang
  • Camellia heterophylla Hu
  • Camellia huiliensis H.T.Chang
  • Camellia jinshajiangica H.T.Chang & S.L.Lee
  • Camellia kangdianica H.T.Chang, H.S.Liu & G.X.Xiang
  • Camellia kweichowensis H.T.Chang
  • Camellia lanosituba H.T.Chang
  • Camellia oligophlebia H.T.Chang
  • Camellia paucipetala H.T.Chang
  • Camellia pentapetala H.T.Chang
  • Camellia pentaphylacoides H.T.Chang
  • Camellia pentaphylax H.T.Chang
  • Camellia phelloderma H.T.Chang, H.S.Liu & Y.Z.Zhang
  • Camellia stichoclada H.T.Chang
  • Camellia subliberopetala H.T.Chang
  • Camellia xichangensis H.T.Chang
  • Camellia xylocarpa (Hu) H.T.Chang ex H.T.Chang & B.Bartholmew
  • Desmitus reticulata (Lindl.) Raf.
  • Thea reticulata (Lindl.) Pierre
  • Yunnanea xylocarpa Hu

Camellia reticulata (syn. C. heterophylla[2]) is a species of Camellia native to southwestern China, in Yunnan Province. The wild populations are restricted to mixed mountain forest in western and central Yunnan.[3]

It is a loosely-branched shrub or small tree, which can grow up to 10–15 metres in height.[4] The leaves are elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 5–11 cm long and 4–5.5 cm wide. The flowers are 7–10 cm in diameter, soft-pink to deep-pink and rarely almost white, with 5–7 petals or more in some cultivars,[5] and are produced in sub-terminal or axillary positions on the branch.[5] The fruit capsule is about 3.6 cm long and 4.6 cm diameter.[6]

Symbolism and uses

It is the floral emblem of Yunnan. It has been cultivated for a long history both for tea oil and for its ornamental value.[6]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Camellia reticulata.
  1. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Species R-S
  3. ↑ IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  4. ↑ The Hungington:The Camellia Garden
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tianlu Min and Bruce Bartholomew (2007), "Camellia reticulata", Flora of China online 12, retrieved 21 April 2015
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Week at the Garden: Camellia Fruit (21 February 2005)