Camellia sinensis

**Semantic type:** Plant

**Definition:** The plant species whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. White tea, Green, oolong and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed to attain different levels of oxidation. Camellia sinensis is native to mainland 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, 2.5-4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals.

**Synonyms:** - CAMELLIA SINENSIS WHOLE - Tea Plant - Thea sinensis