Camellia taliensis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Theaceae |
Genus: | Camellia |
Species: | C. taliensis
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Binomial name | |
Camellia taliensis (W.W.Sm.) Melch.
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Camellia taliensis (also known as Yunnan large leaf varietal tea, wild tea, Dali tea, Yunnan broad tea, Fried egg plant and others; 大理茶) is a small species of evergreen shrub whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea.
It is of the genus Camellia of flowering plants in the family Theaceae.
C. taliensis is an important wild relative to the cultivated tea plant Camellia sinensis. It also belongs to the same section Thea as C. sinensis.
The species is cultivated on many farms in Yunnan province in China and not considered endangered. However, its wild populations are shrinking due to human caused fragmentation of the plant's natural habitat and from the excessive harvesting of the leaves for the tea market.[2]