White tea,yellow tea,green tea,oolong,dark tea (which includespu-erh tea) andblack tea are all made from two of the five varieties which form the main crops now grown,C. sinensis var.sinensis andC. s. var.assamica, but areprocessed differently to attain varying levels ofoxidation with black tea being the most oxidized and white being the least.[3]Kukicha (twig tea) is also made fromC. sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves.
The namesinensis is a compound meaning "from China" inBotanical Latin. The two parts aresin from Latin meaning China and-ensis the suffix meaning place of origin.[4]
Camellia sinensis is widely known by thecommon nametea tree, a name in use since 1760. However, it is also used to refer to shrubs or trees of themyrtle family from Australia and New Zealand, most frequently species inLeptospermum orMelaleuca the first usage dating to 1790.[6] Tea trees are also variously called tea-bushes, tea-shrubs, and tea-plants.[7][8]
Camellia sinensis is a woodyshrub ortree that is typically 1 to 5 m (3.3 to 16.4 ft) tall,[9] but can be as tall as 20 m (66 ft).[10] It is usually trimmed to a height of about 1 m (3.3 ft) with a flat top when in commercial tea plantations.[11] The bark on trunks is smooth and gray with a yellow or brown tone.[12] Young branches are yellow with a gray cast to them while new twigs are red-purple with white hairs.[9] In older trees the trunk reaches as much as 40 cm in diameter.[13]
Inseedlings thetaproot is dominant, but in mature plants the distribution of roots depends upon individual plant characteristics and growing conditions. In areas with shallow soils or high water tables tea bushes will have a shallow, fibrous root system while in areas with deep soils root have been found at depths of 5.5 m.[14] Tea bushes reach peak productivity at ages of 30 to 50 years, but can remain productive for over a century.[15]
C. sinensis plant, with cross-section of the flower (lower left) and seeds (lower right)
The leaves are an attractive green and tend to be smaller on cultivated plants than wild ones, ranging in size from 4 to 22 cm (1.5 to 8.5 in) and a width of 2 to 7.7 cm (0.8 to 3.0 in).[16] Their shape iselliptic,oblong-elliptic, or oblong, and they have a leathery texture. The upper surface is shining dark green and hairless while the underside is pale green and can be hairless orpubescent, covered in plant hairs. The center vein is raised above the surface of the leaf on both sides as are the smaller seven to nine veins to each side. The netlike veins between are also visible. The leaf tip has a wide angle and the edges areserrate toserrulate, having asymmetrical teeth that point forwards to very fine serrations.[9]
Flower of tea plantPollen grains ofC. sinensis
The flowers are white, 2.5 to 3.5 cm (1 to 1.5 in) across with six to eight petals. They bud in the leafaxils and can be solitary or have up to three in a cluster. On the back of the flower there will be fivesepals 3–5 mm long. One to three of the petals will be somewhat sepal-like and hidden behind the five visible at the front of the flower. The center of the flower is filled with numerous hairlessstamens 8–13 mm long.[9] They are arranged in as many as five concentric circles calledwhorls.[17]
C. sinensis fruit and seeds
The fruit is a capsule with globe shape, usually flattened at the ends and measuring 1–1.5 cm top to bottom and 1.5-3.5 cm in diameter.[9][18] Each fruit will have one to three round chambers with one or two seeds in each. The seeds are brown to almost black in color and are round, half-spheres, or have mulpile flat faces.[10] They measure 1 to 2 cm and are hairless.[9][10]
Linnaeus did not consider this plant aCamellia but placed it in a separate genusThea.[19] Then in 1818,Robert Sweet merged the two genera, selectingCamellia for the merged genus, and shifted all the formerThea species to that genus.[20]
Fivevarieties ofCamellia sinensis are accepted:[2]
In 2017, Chinese scientists sequenced the genome ofC. s. var.assamica.[28] It contains about three billion base pairs, which was larger than most plants previously sequenced.[29]
The Cambodia type tea ("C. assamica subsp.lasiocalyx") was originally considered a type of Assam tea. However, later genetic work showed that it is a hybrid between Chinese small leaf tea and Assam tea.[30]
Chinese (small leaf) tea [C. sinensis var.sinensis]
Chinese Western Yunnan Assam (large leaf) tea [C. sinensis var.assamica]
Indian Assam (large leaf) tea [C. sinensis var.assamica]
Chinese Southern Yunnan Assam (large leaf) tea [C. sinensis var.assamica]
Tea seedling
Chinese (small leaf) tea may have originated in southern China possibly with hybridization of unknown wild tea relatives. However, since no wild populations of this tea are known, the precise location of its origin is speculative.[31][32]
Given their genetic differences forming distinctclades, Chinese Assam type tea (C. s. var.assamica) may have two different parentages – one being found in southernYunnan (Xishuangbanna,Pu'er City) and the other in western Yunnan (Lincang,Baoshan). Many types of Southern Yunnan Assam tea have been hybridized with the closely related speciesCamellia taliensis. Unlike Southern Yunnan Assam tea, Western Yunnan Assam tea shares many genetic similarities with Indian Assam type tea (alsoC. s. var.assamica). Thus, Western Yunnan Assam tea and Indian Assam tea both may have originated from the same parent plant in the area where southwestern China, Indo-Burma, and Tibet meet. However, as the Indian Assam tea shares nohaplotypes with Western Yunnan Assam tea, Indian Assam tea is likely to have originated from an independent domestication. Some Indian Assam tea appears to have hybridized with the speciesCamellia pubicosta.[31][32]
Assuming a generation of 12 years, Chinese small leaf tea is estimated to have diverged from Assam tea around 22,000 years ago; this divergence would correspond to the lastglacial maximum,[31][32] while Chinese Assam tea and Indian Assam tea diverged 2,800 years ago.
Chinese small leaf type tea was introduced into India in 1836 by the British and some Indian Assam type tea (e.g.Darjeeling tea) appear to be genetic hybrids of Chinese small leaf type tea, native Indian Assam, and possibly also closely related wild tea species.[33]
Native range ofCamellia sinensis according to the borderlands theory
The origins of tea plants is obscured by its long history of cultivation. The natural range is unknown, though it is reasonably certain that the species comes from East Asia with the exact location being debated by experts.[34] One theory is that the species originated in the borderlands of far eastern India, northMyanmar, and southwestern China.[35] Alternatively, other experts point to an origin to the northeast inYunnan province within China.[36] In thePlants of the World Online database many more places are listed as part of the native range including not only southcentral and southwest China, Assam and the eastern Himalayas in India, and Myanmar, but alsoLaos,Thailand, andVietnam.[2]
Camellia sinensis is mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates, in areas with at least 127 cm (50 in) of rainfall a year. Tea plants prefer a rich and moist growing location in full to part sun, and can be grown inhardiness zones 7–9. However, the species is commercially cultivated from the equator to as far north asScotland,[37] with the northernmost tea plantation at 59°N latitude onShapinsay in theOrkney Islands.[38] Many high quality teas are grown at high elevations, up to 2,200 m (7,200 ft), as the plants grow more slowly and acquire more flavour.
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. s. var.sinensis) and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. s. var.assamica), used mainly for black tea. Tea trees can remain productive for many years.
The Chinese plant is a small-leafed bush with multiple stems that reaches a height of some 3 m (9.8 ft). It is native to southeast China. The first tea plant variety to be discovered, recorded, and used to produce tea dates back 3,000 years ago; it yields some of the most popular teas.
C. s. var.waldenae was considered a different species,C. waldenae by SY Hu,[39] but it was later identified as a variety ofC. sinensis.[40] This variety is commonly called Waldenae Camellia; it is grown onSunset Peak andTai Mo Shan inHong Kong, and also occurs inGuangxi province.[39]
Assam, fromC. s. var.assamica, comes from the near sea-level heavily forested northeastern section of India, the state ofAssam. Tea from here is rich and full-bodied. The first tea estate in India was established in Assam in 1837. Teas are manufactured in either theorthodox process or the "crush, tear, curl" (CTC) process.
Darjeeling, fromC. s. var.sinensis, is from the cool and wetDarjeeling highland region, tucked in the foothills of theHimalayas. Tea plantations could be at altitudes as high as 2,200 m (7,200 ft). The tea is delicately flavoured, and considered to be one of the finest teas in the world. The Darjeeling plantations have three distinct harvests, termed 'flushes', and the tea produced from each flush has a unique flavour. First (spring) flush teas are light and aromatic, while the second (summer) flush produces tea with a bit more bite. The third, or autumn flush gives a tea that is lesser in quality.
Nilgiri is from a southern region of India almost as high as Darjeeling. Grown at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 m (3,300 and 8,200 ft), Nilgiri teas are subtle and rather gentle, and are frequently blended with other, more robust teas.[citation needed]
The seeds of the tea bush andoil-seed camellia (Camellia oleifera) can be pressed to yieldtea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused withtea tree oil, anessential oil that is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, and originates from the leaves of a different plant.
Green tea has been consumed for health purposes for thousands of years and is currently promoted for various health benefits though scientific studies show mixed results, with some evidence suggesting modest effects in certain populations; the United StatesFood and Drug Administration has approved a specific green tea extract ointment for treatinggenital warts.[44] Black tea is rated by the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database ofNatural Standard as likely effective for improving mental alertness, possibly effective for conditions likelow blood pressure,heart attack risk,osteoporosis,ovarian cancer, andParkinson's disease, possibly ineffective for various cancers anddiabetes, and lacks sufficient evidence for other uses.[45]
Fresh leaves contain about 4%caffeine, as well as related compounds includingtheobromine.[46] Caffeine functions as asecondary metabolite and acts as a naturalpesticide: it can paralyze and kill herbivorous insects feeding on the plant.[47] Caffeine is a purine alkaloid and its biosynthesis occurs in young tea leaves and is regulated by several enzymes.[48][49] The biosynthetic pathway inC. sinensis is similar to other caffeine-producing plants such ascoffee orguayusa.[50] Analysis of the pathway was carried out by harvesting young leaves and using reverse transcriptionPCR to analyze the genes encoding the major enzymes involved in synthesizing caffeine. The geneTCS1 encodescaffeine synthase. Younger leaves feature high concentrations of TCS1 transcripts, allowing more caffeine to be synthesized during this time. Dephosphorylation of xanthosine-5'-monophosphate intoxanthosine is the committed step for the xanthosines entering the beginning of the most common pathway. A sequence of reactions turnsxanthosine (9β-D-ribofuranosylxanthine) into7-methylxanthosine, then7-methylxanthine, thentheobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine), and finally into caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine).
Biochemical pathway detailing caffeine synthesis inC. sinensis
^Golender L (10 August 2003),"Botanics",History of Tea, archived fromthe original on 9 January 2016, retrieved5 February 2012,The first edition of Linnaeus's Species Plantarum published in 1753 suggested calling the tea plant Thea sinensis...
^International Association for Plant Taxonomy (2006),"Article 13, example 3",International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Vienna Code) (electronic ed.),archived from the original on 30 November 2011, retrieved5 February 2012,The generic namesThea L. (Sp. Pl.: 515. 24 Mai 1753), andCamellia L. (Sp. Pl.: 698. 16 August 1753; Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 311. 1754), are treated as having been published simultaneously on 1 May 1753. … the combined genus bears the nameCamellia, since Sweet (Hort. Suburb. Lond.: 157. 1818), who was the first to unite the two genera, chose that name, and citedThea as a synonym.
^Wambulwa, M. C.; Meegahakumbura, M. K.; Chalo, R.; Kamunya, S.; Muchugi, A.; Xu, J. C.; Liu, J.; Li, D. Z.; Gao, L. M. (2016). "Nuclear microsatellites reveal the genetic architecture and breeding history of tea germplasm of East Africa".Tree Genetics & Genomes.12 (1): 11.doi:10.1007/s11295-015-0963-x.S2CID15909964.
^"Green tea". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 30 November 2016.Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved27 February 2018.
^"Black tea". MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. 30 November 2017.Archived from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved27 February 2018.
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