Camellia sinensis 767304 223181015 2008-07-02T22:45:40Z Mendaliv 200402 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/216.179.103.97|216.179.103.97]] to last version by Cuaxdon (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{Taxobox | name = Tea Plant | image = Csinensis.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Camellia sinensis'' foliage | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Ericales]] | familia = [[Theaceae]] | genus = ''[[Camellia]]'' | species = ''C. sinensis'' | binomial = '''''Camellia sinensis''''' | binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Otto Kuntze|Kuntze]] }} '''''Camellia sinensis''''' is the '''tea plant''', the [[plant]] [[species]] whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce [[tea]]. It is of the genus [[Camellia]] ({{zh-tp|t=茶花|p=Cháhuā}}), a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. [[White tea]], [[green tea]], [[oolong]] and [[black tea]] are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently to attain different levels of [[oxidation]]. [[Kukicha]] (twig tea) is also harvested from camellia sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves. The name ''sinensis'' means ''[[China|Chinese]]'' in [[Latin]]. ''Camellia'' is taken from the Latinized name of Rev. Georg Kamel, S.J. (1661-1706), a Czech-born [[Jesuit]] priest who became both a prominent botanist and a missionary to the Philippines (it is not uncommon for members of the Catholic Jesuit order to combine careers in scholarship with their religious work). Though Kamel did not discover or name the plant, [[Carl Linnaeus]], the creator of the system of [[taxonomy]] still used today, chose his name for the genus of this tree to honor Kamel's contributions to science. Older names for the tea plant include ''Thea bohea'', ''Thea sinensis'' and ''Thea viridis''. == Description == ''Camellia sinensis'' is native to mainland [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]], but is today cultivated across the world, in tropical and subtropical regions. It is an evergreen [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] that is usually trimmed to below two metres (six feet) when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong [[taproot]]. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5&ndash;4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals. The seeds of ''Camellia sinensis'' and ''[[Camellia oleifera]]'' can be pressed to yield [[tea oil]], a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with [[tea tree oil]], an [[essential oil]] that is used for medical and cosmetical purposes and originates from the leaves of a different plant. [[Image:Koeh-025.jpg|left|thumb|''Camellia sinensis'' plant, with cross-section of the flower (lower left) and seeds (lower right).]] The leaves are 4&ndash;15 cm long and 2&ndash;5 cm broad. Fresh leaves contain about 4% [[caffeine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Camellia_sinensis.html |title=Camellia sinensis |accessdate=2008-02-18 }}</ref> The young, light green leaves are preferably harvested for tea production; they have short white hairs on the underside. Older leaves are deeper green. Different leaf ages produce differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different. Usually, the tip (bud) and the first two to three leaves are harvested for processing. This hand picking is repeated every one to two weeks. The three most common types of tea are green, oolong and black (others include yellow, white, compressed and flavoured teas). All use the same leaves of the same plant. Green tea is steamed (Japanese method) or roasted (Chinese method) very soon after picking to stop the oxidation process. Oolong tea is left to oxidize a bit longer and is the type used by most Chinese restaurants. Black tea is oxidized for the longest period of time which produces the darkest of the teas. White tea, a delicacy in the orient now beginning to be found in Western shops, is made from "tea needles," the newest, still folded shoots of leaves at the end of branches. Further distinctions are made to denote the size of the leaves used (the youngest, smallest leaves are generally held to have the highest quality flavor), and the region of origin (in much the same way wine is classified). ==Cultivation== ''Main article'': [[tea#cultivation|Tea cultivation]]. Camellia sinensis is mainly cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical climates, in areas with at least 50 inches of rainfall a year. However, it is commercially cultivated from the equator to as far north as [[Cornwall]] on the UK mainland<ref>Telegraph Online, 17 Sept 2005. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml?xml=/gardening/2005/09/17/gtea17.xml</ref>. Many high quality teas are grown at high elevations, up to 1500 meters (5,000 ft), as the plants grow more slowly and acquire a better flavor. Tea plants will grow into a tree if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Two principal varieties are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis sinensis) and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis assamica), used mainly for Black tea. ==Varieties== Several varieties of ''C. sinensis'' are used for tea production: ===Assamese variety=== The most volume comes from the [[Assam tea|Assam]] variety (sometimes called ''C. sinensis'' var. ''assamica'' or ''C. assamica''), predominantly grown in the [[Assam]] region. It is a small tree (single stemmed) with large leaves. In the wild it reaches a height of 6 to 20 meters (20&ndash;65 feet) and is native to north-east [[India]], [[Myanmar]], [[Vietnam]], and south [[China]]. In tea estates it is kept trimmed to just above waist level. A lowland plant, it requires a high rainfall but good drainage. It does not tolerate extreme temperatures. Discovered in [[1823]] (though used earlier by local people in their brews), it is one of the two original tea plants. All Assam teas and most [[Ceylon tea]]s are from this plant. The Assam plant produces malty, earthy drinks, unlike the generally flowery yield of the China plant. [[Image:Camellia sinensis-fruto.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Seed bearing fruit of ''Camellia sinensis'']] ===Chinese variety=== The Chinese plant (sometimes called ''C. sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'') is a small-leaved bush with multiple stems that reaches a height of some 3 meters. It is native to south-east China. The first tea plant to be discovered, recorded and used to produce tea three thousand years ago, it yields some of the most popular teas. ''C. sinensis'' var. ''waldenae'' was considered a different species, ''Camellia waldenae'' by S.Y.Hu,<ref name="ICS">[http://www.uniklinik-saarland.de/med_fak/physiol2/camellia/register/species/spec_rs.htm The International Camellia Society (ICS)]</ref> but it was later identified as a variety of ''C. sinensis''<ref>Ming, T. L. (1992) A revision of Camellia sect. Thea. Acta Botanica Yunnanica. 14(2), 115-132. In Chinese.</ref>. This variety is commonly called '''Walden's Camellia'''. It is seen on [[Sunset Peak]] and [[Tai Mo Shan]] in Hong Kong. It is also distributed in Guangxi Province, China.<ref name="ICS" /> ===Cambodian variety=== The Cambodian plant is sometimes called ''C. sinensis'' var. ''parvifolia''. Its leaves are in size between the Assam and Chinese varieties; it is a small tree with several stems. It is sometimes referred to as a hybrid of the Assam and China plants. ===Diseases=== {{Main|List of tea diseases}} ==Medical uses== *The leaves have been used in [[traditional Chinese medicine]] (TCM), and other medical systems to treat [[asthma]], [[bronchodilator]], [[angina pectoris]], [[peripheral vascular disease]], and [[coronary artery disease]]. Tea extracts have become field of interest, due to their notional antibacterial activity. Especially the preservation of processed organic food and the treatment of persistent bacterial infections are being investigated. *Green tea leaves and extracts have shown to be effective against bacteria responsible for bad breath. *The tea component [[catechin|epicatechin gallate]] is being researched because in-vitro experiments showed that it can reverse [[methicillin]] resistance in bacteria like ''[[Staphylococcus aureus]]''. If confirmed, this means that the combined intake of a tea extract containing this component will enhance the effectiveness of methicillin treatment against some resistant bacteria. ==See also== {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * [[Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford]] * [[Assam tea]] * [[Bubble tea]] * [[Capputeano]] * [[Ceylon tea (disambiguation)]] * [[Chinese tea culture]] * [[Chinese herbology#50 fundamental herbs|Chinese herbology]] * [[Darjeeling tea]] * [[Earl Grey tea|Earl Grey]], a blend of tea made with [[bergamot orange]]. * [[English Breakfast tea]] * [[Flowering tea]], a type of tea that opens up when steeped * [[Frederick John Horniman]] * [[Gunpowder tea]] * [[Health benefits of tea|The health benefits of tea]] * [[Iced tea]] * [[Irish Breakfast tea]] * [[ISO 3103]], a method of brewing tea according to the [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]]. * [[Japanese tea ceremony]] {{col-break}} * [[Kahwah]] Traditional Green Tea recipe from Kashmir * [[Kaempferol]] a flavanoid found in green and black teas and associated with reduced risk of heart disease * [[Korean tea ceremony]] * [[Lapsang souchong]] * [[List of tea companies]] * [[Masala chai]] * [[Mate (beverage)|Mate]] * [[Orange Pekoe]] * [[Peppermint tea]] * [[Prince of Wales tea blend]] * [[Rooibos]] * [[Samovar]] * [[Tasseography]], a method of [[divination]] by reading tea leaves. * [[Tea]] * [[Tea Classics]] * [[Tea tree]] is a name sometimes applied to a number of different plants unrelated to the tea plant. * [[Tea tree oil]] is derived from ''[[Melaleuca|Melaleuca alternifolia]]'' which is native to [[Australia]] and unrelated to the tea plant discussed here. * [[Thai tea]] * [[Turkish tea]] {{col-end}} ==References== <references/> ==External links== {{commons|Camellia sinensis}} {{wikispecies|Camellia sinensis}} * {{ITIS|ID=506801|taxon=Camellia sinensis|year=2006|date=16 February}} * [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Camellia_sinensis.html ''Camellia sinensis''] from [[Purdue University]] *Plant Cultures: [http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/tea_landing.html botany and history of the tea plant] * [http://www.tocklai.org/about_tea/tea_class.htm ''Camellia sinensis'' Classification] from Toklai Tea Research Station, Jorhat, Assam. * Antibacterial Activity of Green Tea Extracts against Streptococcus anginosus group: http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/10017425510/en/ * The effect of a component of tea (Camellia sinensis) on methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus: http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/2/211 *[http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=198 List of Chemicals in ''Camellia sinensis'' (Dr. Duke's Databases)] [[Category:Medicinal plants]] [[Category:Tea]] [[Category:Theaceae]] [[bg:Чай (растение)]] [[ca:Planta de te]] [[cs:Čajovník]] [[da:Tebusk]] [[de:Tee (Pflanze)]] [[es:Camellia sinensis]] [[et:Teepõõsas]] [[fr:Théier]] [[he:קמיליה סיננסיס]] [[mk:Чајна билка]] [[ms:Pokok Teh]] [[nl:Thee (plant)]] [[ja:チャノキ]] [[pt:Camellia sinensis]] [[ro:Camelia sinensis]] [[ru:Чай (растение)]] [[fi:Teepensas]] [[ta:தேயிலை]] [[vi:Chè (thực vật)]] [[th:ต้นชา]] [[tr:Camellia sinensis]] [[zh:茶树]]