Camellia japonica L.

Camellia (en), Camélia du Japon (fr), Thé du japon (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Theaceae > Camellia

Characteristics

Shrubs or trees, 1.5-6(-11) m tall. Young branches grayish brown; current year branchlets purplish brown, glabrous. Petiole 5-10 mm, glabrous or adaxially pubescent; leaf blade broadly elliptic, elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, 5-10.5(-12) × 2.5-6(-7) cm, leathery, abaxially pale green and brown glandular punctate, adaxially dark green, both surfaces glabrous, midvein yellowish green, thick, and elevated on both surfaces, secondary veins 6-9 on each side of midvein, slender, and visible on both surfaces, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margin serrulate, apex shortly acuminate and with an obtuse tip. Flowers axillary or subterminal, solitary or paired, 6-10 cm in diam., subsessile. Bracteoles and sepals ca. 9, green at anthesis; outer 4 bracteoles and sepals lunate to semiorbicular, 2-5 mm, glabrous, subglabrous, or grayish white velutinous; inner bracteoles and sepals green, persistent to young fruit, orbicular to broadly ovate, 1-2 cm, thinly leathery, both surfaces grayish white velutinous or subglabrous, margin membranous. Petals 6 or 7 but often more for cultivars, rose or white, obovate to broadly obovate, 3-4.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, apex emarginate; inner 5 petals basally connate for 0.5-1.5 cm. Stamens 2.5-3.5 cm, glabrous; outer filament whorl basally connate for 1.5-2.5 cm. Gynoecium ca. 3 cm, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, 3-loculed; style ca. 2.8 cm, apically 3-lobed. Capsule globose, 2.5-4.5 cm in diam., 3-loculed with 1 or 2 seeds per locule; pericarp 5-8 mm thick when dry, woody. Seeds brown, semiglobose to globose, 1-2 cm in diam., glabrous. Fl. Jan-Mar, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 30, 45, 75.
More
A shrub or small tree. It grows 1.8-7.5 m tall. It spreads 1.8-6 m wide. The leaves are glossy on the top surface and dull and spotted underneath. They are broadly oval and pointed. The flowers are large and red. The fruit vary in size. Many named varieties occur.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 4.0 - 8.0
Mature height (meter) 6.25 - 9.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It is resistant to frost but sensitive to drought. In Japan it grows along river banks and on the edges of forests. It grow in forests between 300-1,100 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. Arboretum Tasmania. They do well with a pH of 4.5-5.5. In Yunnan.
More
Woods in hills and down to sea level near the coast. Forests, at elevations from 300-1,100 metres
Light 2-7
Soil humidity 4-7
Soil texture 3-5
Soil acidity 2-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-9

Usage

The leaves are used as a substitute for tea. The seeds used to produce an edible oil. The peppery leaves are eaten fresh. They are also used as a wrapping. The dried flowers are eaten as a vegetable.
Uses dye environmental use fodder food gene source material medicinal oil tea
Edible flowers leaves seeds
Therapeutic use Cardiotonic agents (seed), Cosmetics (seed), Cardiotonic (unspecified), Endocarditis (unspecified), Hemoptysis (unspecified), Ointment-Base (unspecified), Pericarditis (unspecified), Tea (unspecified), Burn (unspecified), Enterorrhagia (unspecified), Hematemesis (unspecified), Scald (unspecified), Antiprotozoal agents (whole plant excluding root), Antiviral agents (whole plant excluding root), Spasm (whole plant excluding root)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. They can also be grown by cuttings, layering or grafting.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -12
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Camellia japonica leaf picture by Gitano Takeshi (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica leaf picture by 道草 (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica leaf picture by Renau Vallés María Lidón (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Camellia japonica flower picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica flower picture by wmwong928 wmwong928 (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica flower picture by 三智男 上原 (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Camellia japonica fruit picture by floral hardy (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica fruit picture by Nidal Zribi (cc-by-sa)
Camellia japonica fruit picture by Saulo Ceolin (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Camellia japonica world distribution map, present in Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, China, Colombia, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Taiwan, Province of China, United States of America, and Viet Nam

Conservation status

Camellia japonica threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:828524-1
WFO ID wfo-0000582404
COL ID Q9KD
BDTFX ID 12386
INPN ID 87587
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Camellia japonica f. parviflora Camellia sylvestris Camellia bonnardii Camellia florida Camellia hayaoi Camellia kaempferia Camellia planipetala Camellia wabiske Thea japonica Thea nakaii Thea camellia Kemelia japonica Thea hozanensis Camellia tsubakki Camellia mutabilis Camellia bonnardi Camellia nakaii Camellia japonica var. concava Camellia japonica var. hexapetala Camellia japonica var. hortensis Camellia japonica subsp. hortensis Camellia japonica var. hozanensis Camellia japonica var. longifolia Camellia japonica var. macrocarpa Camellia japonica var. nakaii Camellia japonica f. ilicifolia Camellia japonica f. lancifolia Camellia japonica f. leucantha Camellia japonica f. lilifolia Camellia japonica f. macrocarpa Camellia japonica f. otome Camellia japonica f. polypetala Camellia japonica f. trifida Camellia hozanensis Camellia japonica var. japonica Thea japonica var. spontanea Thea japonica var. hortensis Camellia japonica

Lower taxons

Camellia japonica var. rusticana